Rival colleges urged to combat in ‘Grange Hill-style’ battles as police arrest two

A teenage boy and a man in his 20s have been arrested in connection to social media posts allegedly urging schoolchildren from rival schools to fight against each other.

The two detainees were arrested on Sunday by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of encouraging or assisting in a crime. In recent days numerous posts have appeared on social media allegedly separating schools into red and blue “teams”.

The social media posts reportedly warn students of a “war” using weapons ranging from kitchen knives, scissors, fireworks and mathematical compasses. Some schools are said to have increased security in response to the social media posts and have stepped up security patrols.

It is reminiscent of the battles in classic children’s TV show Grange Hill. Pupils from the eponymous secondary school regularly crashed with students from rival schools.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “A strong police presence remains around schools, particularly at the end of the school day. Local officers continue to work alongside local authority partners, school leaders and parents, whose joint robust response has been vital in protecting young people across the last week.”

The man in his 20s and teenager who were arrested have been released on bail as further inquiries are pending. Police have issued previous warnings on days where violence was suspected to break out between school children due to the provocative social media posts.

The posts urging pupils to “be violent” in “school wars” have been branded as “deeply concerning” by the Technology Secretary. A headteachers’ union has warned the trend is the “latest example of the wild west environment” on social media platforms.

The social media trend first began circulating in mid-February, initially targeting secondary schools in Hackney, east London and urging pupils to attack “rival” schools with items such as compasses, metal combs and rulers before sharing footage on social media.

The posts claim there will be several rounds held across different days in London. Images circulating on platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat have also referenced a “Bristol War”, which the police have been made aware of.

Despite London and Bristol areas being mentioned online, the worry of the posts has reportedly concerned schools across the country with letters being sent to parents relating to the posts. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has branded the posts as “abhorrent.”

The Labour minister said: “This content is deeply concerning, and I understand TikTok are taking action to review and address it. Encouraging violence by urging children to take knives to school is illegal. I expect platforms to abide by the letter of the law and where the content is illegal, they should take action to stop these abhorrent posts.”

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