Police in Northern Ireland and Scotland are treating bomb threats sent to hundreds of schools as a hoax. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said up to 300 schools in the region reported receiving the same emailed message containing a generalised threat, leading to closures on Monday morning. Police Scotland also confirmed it is investigating threatening messages sent to schools across Scotland.
Investigation and response
The PSNI stated that checks and enquiries so far have not discovered anything untoward, and the email originated from outside the UK. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson acknowledged the concern in the community and the disruption caused to school communities, students, and parents. He said enquiries are ongoing but the risk to the public is considered low.
Police have been liaising with affected schools and working with the Department of Education and the Education Authority to provide reassurance. The Education Authority said it is engaging closely with the PSNI and acting on their advice, with communications issued to schools.
Education minister's statement
Stormont's education minister, Paul Givan, described the threat as “Islamist” and said it was signed off “Allahu Akbar”. He told reporters at Stormont that the email threatened that Sharia law would be brought into the country and claimed viable devices were within school settings. Mr Givan condemned the disruption to young people's education and stated the threat is not regarded as viable, though it is hugely disruptive and distressing.
School evacuation
Stephen Baine, principal of St Colman’s Primary School in Lambeg, described 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 pupils were evacuated. Mr Baine said the school received the email at approximately 8.50am, and the emergency response involved bringing children out of the classroom safely, informing parents, and removing children from the site within 30 to 40 minutes.
Mr Baine praised the coordinated response and expressed sadness that children had hardly 15 minutes of learning before being taken home. He noted that checks by senior management and building supervisors were completed, and the school hoped to reopen the following morning.
