No risk to public from hoax school bomb threats, says government minister
Quick Look
- At least 470 schools across Scotland received hoax bomb threat emails, prompting police to confirm there is no credible danger.
- Similar threats were reported in Northern Ireland and Italy, with authorities advising schools to remain open and avoid unnecessary evacuations.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
A similar wave of hoax emails was sent to schools across the country on 19 October, resulting in over 300 police calls.
Schools across Scotland have been targeted with a fresh wave of hoax bomb threats, less than a month after a previous alert.
The force said at least 470 schools had received the email but that the warnings were "immediately assessed" as hoaxes and there was nothing to suggest a credible threat.
Specialist cyber crime officers are working to identify the source of the messages, which were sent to both primary and secondary schools.
Similar "bogus" emails were sent to 300 schools in Northern Ireland, while schools in Italy also received threats.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We understand how distressing messages of this nature can be for pupils, parents, carers and school staff, and the concern they can understandably cause.
"Our advice is that there is no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from education based solely on the content of the emails."
Most local authorities contacted by BBC Scotland said schools were operating as normal but some confirmed pupils had been evacuated.
More than 300 calls were made to police when a similar message was sent to schools around the country on 19 October.
In many areas, pupils were off due to half-term holidays.
Open Questions
- Who is responsible for the hoax emails?
- Are the threats in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Italy linked?
