More than 300 calls to police after hoax bomb threats at schools

Hundreds of people contacted police after schools across Scotland were targeted by hoax bomb threat emails.

Specialist cyber crime officers have now begun an investigation into the source of the messages, which were sent to both primary and secondary schools.

The warnings were quickly identified as hoaxes and learning was unaffected in schools where pupils had returned from the October break, while other schools were still on holiday.

Similar hoax emails warning of an "explosive device" were also sent to around 300 schools in Northern Ireland.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Police Scotland received more than 300 calls after threatening messages were sent to a number of schools across Scotland.

"These messages are being treated as a hoax. Officers and staff from Police Scotland's Cyber and Fraud Unit are carrying out extensive inquiries to establish the source."

In some parts of Scotland, pupils were not yet back from the holiday but staff were in school for an "in-service day".

City of Edinburgh Council decided to ask them to work from home, and a similar option was given to staff at some schools in Inverclyde.

One school in South Lanarkshire was closed but this was due to an unrelated heating issue.

Andrea Bradley, general secretary of the EIS teaching union said hoax bomb warnings at schools had happened in the past but the scale of this incident, targeting schools in both Scotland and Northern Ireland was "very unusual".

She said: "Schools have responded with calm, they have made decisions today that have been very much led by advice from Police Scotland who quite quickly were able to identify that this was a hoax.

"But nonetheless the person who put together those emails did so with the intention of causing fear and alarm, and I think it's fair to say that has been somewhat successful, and that is a worry in itself."

BBC Scotland contacted all 32 Scottish local authorities and more than half of them confirmed that schools in their area had received a warning email.

Scottish Borders, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Dunbartonshire, Angus, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire, Moray, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, Inverclyde and Argyll and Bute said they were aware of schools receiving the threat.

Highland and Aberdeenshire councils said they were not aware of any threat, while West Dunbartonshire and East Ayrshire referred to the Police Scotland statement.

Many councils contacted parents, reassuring them that police did not believe there was a credible threat.

A message sent to parents and carers in Perth & Kinross read: "Similar emails have been received by schools across the country and reported to Police Scotland.

"They are being investigated as a hoax communication and, importantly, there is currently no information to suggest any cause for concern.

"We know reports like this can be worrying for families. As children and young people prepare to return next week, please be reassured that their safety and wellbeing, and that of our staff, remains our highest priority."

City of Edinburgh Council's education convener James Dalgleish, said: "While I'm obviously relieved that this has been confirmed as a hoax, I'm hugely frustrated that someone would target schools and young people in this way - causing unnecessary disruption right across the UK."

He said the impact on pupils was "thankfully more limited" due to the in-service day, in the area, but that this "doesn't take away from the stupidity of this person's actions".

While it is not unprecedented for schools and councils to receive threats, they say the scale of this particular incident is a first in their experience.

None of them have previously encountered an occasion when schools across Scotland have been targeted at the same time as those in Northern Ireland.

Those council areas whose schools were back from the October break were very clear that it was business as usual and pupils were behind desks in school.

Social media is awash with conspiracy theories. News of the emails will no doubt be unsettling to parents - but police, councils and teachers have been clear that this is considered a hoax and should be treated as such.