Police treating bomb threat sent to hundreds of schools as ‘hoax’

Police in Northern Ireland and Scotland are investigating hoax bomb threats sent to hundreds of schools.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said up to 300 schools in the region had reported “receiving the same emailed message which contained a generalised threat”, causing a number to close on Monday morning.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said they are aware of threatening messages being sent to a number of schools across Scotland and investigations are under way.

Stormont’s education minister Paul Givan said the threat was “Islamist” and had been signed off “Allahu Akbar”.

Police said checks and enquiries to date had not discovered anything untoward and confirmed the email originated from outside the UK.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the police “understand the concern in the community, not to mention the disruption it has caused in some school communities and for students and parents.”

“Our enquiries are ongoing, however, at this stage we consider risk to the public as low,” he said.

“We will continue to liaise with schools impacted and have been working closely with the Department of Education and the Education Authority this morning to provide reassurance.”

Speaking to reporters at Stormont, Mr Givan said the email was “threatening that Sharia law will be brought into our country and that there is viable devices within those school settings and it was signed off ‘Allahu Akbar’”.

“Some schools have closed as a result of this threat being received through formal communication channels to those schools, something that I absolutely condemn is that there has been this level of disruption caused to young people’s education,” he said.

He added: “This is something that ought to be condemned by everybody, and I am hugely disappointed that for some schools they have had to close, but it is not something that we are regarding as a viable threat, but nevertheless, hugely disruptive and very distressing.”

In a statement, the Education Authority said it is “aware that a number of schools across Northern Ireland have received a threatening email this morning”.

“We recognise the concern this may cause for school leaders, staff, pupils and families,” they said.

“We are engaging closely with the PSNI and will act on their advice. Communications have been issued to schools, and we continue to support school leaders and keep them informed.”

Stephen Baine, principal of St Colman’s Primary School in Lambeg, said it was a “very worrying start” to the day.

After contacting the PSNI, the school was advised to treat the threat as a worst-case scenario and the 400 school pupils were evacuated from the building.

He said: “Approximately 8.50am, arguably the busiest time of the school day, the school, and I suspect many other schools, received an email threat of an explosive device placed somewhere within the school premises, with a further threat of repeated attacks throughout the the country.

“Very worrying start to the day, a very serious concern, particularly when you have 400 children and 80 staff on site.

“The school immediately went into its emergency response, contacted PSNI for guidance, and we dealt with a very helpful call handler from PSNI, who advised the school that we should immediately go into our emergency procedures and treat the threat as a worst-case scenario.

“Our school responded immediately with an evacuation. The children were brought out of the classroom safely onto the back of the school site. Parents were informed and came within 30 to 40 minutes and collected the children, and removed the children from the school site to allow safety measurements to be put in place. A very coordinated response.

“A very sad day, particularly. The children hardly got 15 minutes of learning today before they were brought out and taken home by their parents.

“A very sad day for our society that so many disruptions are in place because of these threats. But very proud of how the school reacted. Very proud of my children, and the mature and very sensible response, and a big thank you to our parents who, as they always do, supported the school by coming and removing the children very promptly and efficiently.

“We’re being told from PSNI and the Education Authority that it is a hoax.

“Senior management in the school, building supervisors have done all of our checks, and hopefully we’ll be open again for business tomorrow morning."