Police have arrested three men after reports of a handgun prompted a lockdown at La Cité collégiale in Ottawa's east end.

Investigators said the gun turned out to be fake and the lockdown has ended.

Officers rushed to the scene after getting a call about a fight on the street near the French-language school.

One man was reportedly holding a handgun, but when officers arrived, they discovered the gun was not real.

Classes at the college have resumed.