Police treat the threats as hoaxes, but disruption causes alarm among students and parents
Category: Politics
Hundreds of schools in Northern Ireland and Scotland received bomb threats via email on Monday, prompting evacuations and closures as authorities treated the warnings as hoaxes. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) reported that up to 300 schools in Northern Ireland had received the same threatening message, which also circulated among some schools across the UK.
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson of the PSNI stated that the police considered the risk to the public as "low," but emphasized that incidents of this nature are taken very seriously. "Our enquiries are continuing; at this stage, we are treating this email, which originated from outside the UK, as a hoax," Henderson said. Some schools in Northern Ireland chose to close following the threats, though many remained open after consulting with police.
In one notable incident, St Colman's Primary School in Lambeg evacuated approximately 400 pupils after receiving the email. Stephen Baine, the principal, described the situation as a "very worrying start" to the school day, highlighting the swift response of the staff and parents. "We dealt with a very helpful call handler from PSNI, who advised the school to treat the threat as a worst-case scenario," he said. Following the evacuation, parents were notified and quickly arrived to collect their children.
Education Minister Paul Givan condemned the disruption caused to young people's education, stating, "I absolutely condemn that there has been this level of disruption caused to young people’s education." Givan explained that the emails claimed explosive devices had been planted within school buildings and threatened the introduction of Sharia law. He added that the threats were not regarded as credible, but they had nonetheless caused widespread alarm.
The PSNI confirmed that checks conducted at the schools had not identified anything suspicious. "Checks have not, at this time, resulted in anything untoward," the PSNI reported. The police are working closely with the Department of Education and the Education Authority to provide reassurance to affected schools.
Similar threats were also reported last week in the Republic of Ireland, where An Garda Síochána is currently assessing the credibility of those communications. The origin of the emails remains unclear, but it is believed they were sent from outside the UK. This incident follows a pattern of mass-distributed threatening communications that have caused disruptions across public services, even when initial checks indicate no credible threats.
In Scotland, Police Scotland confirmed that they were aware of the threats sent to schools, with some institutions briefly evacuated before reopening. Reports indicated that as many as 192 schools in Glasgow received the emails, and officials from the cyber and fraud unit are conducting extensive inquiries into the source of the messages. Henderson acknowledged the concern and disruption caused to school communities, pupils, and parents, emphasizing the importance of responding to such threats with caution.
The Education Authority in Northern Ireland has been actively engaging with the PSNI and has issued guidance to schools on how to handle such situations. They recognized the distress caused to pupils, families, and staff and expressed gratitude for the professional response of school leaders during the crisis.
As investigations continue, both the PSNI and Police Scotland are working to establish whether the incidents in Northern Ireland and Scotland are linked to the same source. The police are in contact with their counterparts in other parts of the UK and the Republic of Ireland to gather more information. Henderson noted that the police would continue to liaise with schools impacted by the threats and provide updates as more information becomes available.
Rob Kelsall, assistant general secretary of the school leaders' union NAHT, criticized the lack of clear communication from authorities during the incident. He stated that school leaders were left to reconcile differing and sometimes contradictory advice from multiple agencies, which complicated their decision-making process during a time of crisis. Kelsall called for a review of how information is communicated to schools during incidents like these to provide timely and consistent guidance.
In the meantime, Givan urged schools to operate normally, assuring parents and staff that the situation was under control. "We will continue to work with the PSNI and the Education Authority and engage with the police as their inquiries continue," he said. The Education Authority has committed to supporting school leaders and maintaining open lines of communication as the investigation progresses.
The PSNI's Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson reiterated the police's commitment to keeping the community informed and reassured. "We understand the concern in the community, not to mention the disruption it has caused in some school communities and for students and parents," he said. "Our enquiries are continuing, and we will provide updates as they become available."