The email and the threat

About 160 schools in Northern Ireland received an email on Monday, 19 October, claiming that an explosive device was located in their buildings. The Irish Independent reported that the messages arrived shortly before 9am, while the Telegraph put the number at more than 150 schools. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it had received reports of the email that day and was working with the schools concerned.

“As a result of this email, police are conducting urgent enquiries, and liaising with the schools in question.”

Minister says the threat is not viable

Stormont's education minister, Paul Givan, told reporters that the email appeared to come from Islamists and threatened that Sharia law would be brought into the country. He said the Education Authority was holding emergency meetings with police that morning. Givan said the advice to schools was not to treat the threat as viable, and he described the disruption to pupils' education as something he condemned.

“it is not something that we are regarding as a viable threat, but nevertheless, hugely disruptive and very distressing.”

Givan urged schools to contact their local policing district commands and said that, unless a school had a specifically identified object, there was no reason for it to close. Some schools had closed anyway, while others stayed open and took advice from the PSNI. The Royal Belfast Academical Institution moved its pupils out through a fire drill before police said lessons could resume.

Evacuations and parents' response

St Colman's PS Lambeg evacuated its pupils and told parents to come immediately to collect their children, while assuring them that the children were all safe. The Education Authority said schools should remain vigilant, that it had contacted police for advice and that it would be guided by their response. It said it was keeping school leaders and staff informed.

Scotland and Edinburgh

Police Scotland said it was aware of messages sent to a number of schools in Scotland and was investigating them as a hoax. In Edinburgh, schools hosting in-service days for teaching staff were evacuated after the messages. Leith Primary was among the affected schools. A primary teacher who asked not to be named said staff were evacuated from the school at around 9.30am after the head teacher said an email had claimed a bomb had been placed in the building. Staff were then told to work from home for the rest of the day.

An earlier threat and the police position

A similar email was sent in May to schools and businesses in the Co Antrim area, targeting the Randalstown and Antrim town areas. Police increased patrols at the time but did not believe the email was a credible threat, describing it as a deliberate attempt to cause significant disruption to daily life. Jonathan Craig, the DUP councillor for Lisburn North, said the threats were false. The PSNI has said it will provide an update in due course.