Threatening messages to schools not credible and no risk to public, say police

Detailed summary

Around a thousand Scottish schools received a threatening email message, according to Police Scotland.

Threatening messages sent to Scottish schools are not credible and pose no wider risk to the public, according to police.

A number of threatening emails were received by schools across the UK on Wednesday, including about 1,000 in Scotland.

The messages were assessed and officers confirmed they are being treated as hoaxes.

Police Scotland said: “Our inquiries have established that there is nothing to suggest that they represent a credible threat or that there is any wider threat to the public.

“We understand how distressing messages of this nature can be for pupils, parents, carers and school staff, and the concern they can understandably cause.”

Police said there is no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from education based on the emails.

“They have been sent widely to distribution lists across the UK and Northern Ireland and our assessment remains that they do not represent a credible threat,” the force said in an update on Wednesday evening.

“Police Scotland’s Cyber and Fraud Unit is carrying out extensive inquiries to establish the source of the messages, and officers continue to liaise with law enforcement partners across the UK and internationally.”

A number of Scottish councils said they are working with police but that schools will not be evacuated.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Evening Standard. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.