BELFAST: Police are treating school bomb threats across Northern Ireland and Scotland on Monday as hoaxes after emails prompted closures and evacuations.
Up to 300 schools in Northern Ireland reported receiving the message, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Glasgow City Council identified 148 sites in its area that received threatening messages.
Northern Ireland Education Minister Paul Givan condemned the disruption and stressed that authorities did not consider the threat viable. Some Glasgow schools evacuated pupils during the morning.
However, a council spokesperson confirmed that children subsequently returned to classrooms and were no longer in lockdown. Although some Northern Ireland schools closed, the Education Authority said the majority remained open.
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Police Scotland is investigating similar messages sent to schools across Scotland. Officers there are also treating the emails as a hoax. The PSNI described the email as a general threat and said it originated outside the UK.
Its officers are conducting urgent enquiries and liaising with affected schools. Givan described the incident as “hugely disruptive and very distressing”. Police leaders met the Education Authority on Monday morning to discuss the response.
Meanwhile, staff at some Edinburgh schools left work after receiving threats. Pupils were absent because teachers were attending an in-service day. Schools in the Scottish Borders also received messages while closed for a staff training day.
