A BARNSLEY College student suspected of possessing a firearm was searched at gunpoint in front of his colleagues and kept in a cell for five hours despite having no weapon on him in what he claims was down to racial prejudice.

Daniel Njoh, who is studying music at the Old Mill Lane campus in the town centre, was arrested by armed officers who responded to a false report that the 18-year-old was carrying a weapon last Thursday afternoon.

Several response units rushed to the scene at about 1pm and searched Daniel outside the venue’s main entrance on Old Mill Lane’s junction with Eastgate.

The Cameroon-born teenager, of Samuel Square, Gawber, told the Chronicle he will be issuing a formal complaint due to what he went through.

“I have never been in trouble and I have been studying at the college for more than a year. I had guns pointed at me that’s very frightening and at that point I had no idea why that was happening.

“I’d had an argument with a fellow student beforehand but it was nothing serious.

“I was searched in front of everyone and that has defamed my good character. It’s embarrassing and it no doubt makes people talk, judge and think I’m the type of person who would bring a weapon into college.”

But although police found no weapon Daniel’s ordeal did not end there. He said he spent about five hours in a cell, at Churchfield station before he was released at 7pm without charge.

“I’m 18 and I’m black I have no doubt in my mind when I say I was discriminated against because of the colour of my skin. I’m disgusted that I was put through it.

“I wasn’t carrying a weapon, they found nothing but they still searched me in front of everyone and locked me up for hours. Would that have happened if I was white? Definitely not.”

Daniel despite being released without a caution or charge  has also been suspended by the college and has not been allowed to set foot on its grounds this week while the college carries out its own investigation into the incident.

“I’m there to study and have done nothing wrong but I’m unable to go back until they say.

“When I am, can you imagine how many people will be looking at me?

“The police, after many hours, let me go because I did nothing wrong but now my education is being taken away.

“I could not sleep when I returned home and I’ve struggled since, all because of a report that was not true.”

Police told the Chronicle they followed the procedure for dealing with firearm reports and had little choice but to respond with armed officers.

Having been given a description of Daniel, they admitted he matched that and was stopped accordingly.

Chief Inspector Chris Foster said: “Calls of this nature have to be and are always taken extremely seriously, and we make no apologies for doing so.

“In this case, when we received the call, we had no way of knowing whether or not there was someone with a firearm in the college, and so armed resources were sent to the scene.

“When an individual was detained by officers, an immediate search was carried out to ensure that if there was a weapon, it was seized and made secure as quickly as possible.

“This is standard procedure in an incident like this, where lives could potentially be at risk.

“Our priority is always to protect and preserve life and during this incident we had to ensure the safety of everyone in and around the college.

“Thankfully it was quickly established that there was not a gun, or any weapon, on the premises. Due to the nature of the allegation, it was important that interviews were conducted afterwards with those involved to enable the enquiry to be finalised.”

A Barnsley College spokesperson told the Chronicle the premises remained safe throughout the incident and was not put into lockdown.

They added: “After the incident last week that involved a serious allegation, the college will now undertake an investigation, following procedure as we would in any such situation involving staff or students.”