A fresh bomb threat was sent to Coltness High School in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, on Tuesday, October 20, prompting staff to contact police immediately. The threat has been determined as malicious, and there has been no impact on school operations, with the premises remaining open.
Council Confirms Malicious Threat
A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council told the Record: “A threatening message was made to the school on Tuesday morning and Police Scotland were immediately contacted. It was determined as malicious and there was no impact on school operations and the school remained open to pupils and staff.”
The spokesperson added: “At this time, there is nothing to indicate that it is linked to the threats across Scotland earlier this week which are currently being investigated by Police Scotland. We understand that these type of incidents can be unsettling. But the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and staff are a priority and our schools have well-established security procedures in place to respond.”
Context of Recent Threats
This latest incident follows a wave of bomb threat hoaxes that affected hundreds of schools across Scotland on Monday morning, leading to evacuations and closures. Attendances plummeted as parents kept children home after the October break. Police Scotland treated the incident as a hoax, having received over 300 calls from worried parents.
Similar threatening messages were sent to schools and nurseries in East Lothian on Friday, October 16, and across Northern Ireland, where the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) also deemed them a hoax, noting the messages originated from outside the UK.
Parent and Government Responses
Earlier this week, parents voiced concerns about safety measures, with Amber Hamilton from Edinburgh saying: “We are expected to send our children back to school and nursery and carry on as normal, but how can parents feel reassured when there has been so little communication?” Maxwell McCallum from Leith said: “My kids will not be going to school - they can't even say what safety measures have been put out. I'm not risking my kids' lives.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Police Scotland is investigating threatening messages sent to a number of schools. These messages have been assessed by Police Scotland and are being treated as a hoax. The Scottish Government remains in contact with Police Scotland, and has reiterated to Local Authority Networks that clear and consistent messaging is essential for parents and carers as police continue their work.”
The Record has approached Police Scotland for comment regarding the latest threat in Wishaw.
