About 160 schools in Northern Ireland received bomb threats by email on Monday morning, and police believe the messages are a hoax, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The alerts prompted at least one primary school to be evacuated as children were arriving.

Key points

  • Scale — around 160 schools across the province received the same threat.
  • Evacuation — St Colman's primary school in Lambeg was cleared as a precaution.
  • Police response — the PSNI says urgent enquiries are under way and it is liaising with the schools.
  • Minister's view — Education Minister Paul Givan said the email is not being treated as a viable threat.

Jonathan Craig, a DUP councillor for Lisburn North, said he contacted St Colman's primary school in Lambeg himself after the threat came in early in the morning while pupils were arriving. The principal had no choice but to evacuate immediately because of the possible danger to children, he said.

When Craig approached the Education Authority, he was told that 160 schools across the province had been sent the same message. The authority had been in touch with the PSNI, and both were working closely with the police, he added.

Craig said it was terrible that someone would target children and put fear into them, and called for the police to investigate thoroughly, find whoever was responsible and bring them before the courts.

A PSNI spokesperson said officers received reports on Monday 19 October of an email sent to a number of schools and are carrying out urgent enquiries. An update will be provided in due course.

Editor's comment

What it means in practice

For parents, the immediate effect is disruption at the school gate: a building can be cleared and the morning routine thrown off while police check whether a message is genuine. Schools and the authorities are treating these emails as a hoax, but each report still has to be taken seriously until it is ruled out.

  • Check school messages — keep an eye on your school's own communications rather than social media rumours if a threat is reported.
  • Expect delays — evacuation or a police check can mean pupils are held or sent home at short notice.
  • Report concerns — anyone with information about the emails should contact the PSNI.