UK colleges despatched ‘Allahu Akbar’ bomb threats as police challenge main replace after evacuations
Police in Scotland are investigating hoax threats made to a number of schools, after more than 160 schools in Northern Ireland received hoax bomb threats signed off ‘Allahu Akbar’
Royal Belfast Academical Institution school is reportedly one of those that was evacuated (file)(Image: Getty Images)
Police in Scotland are investigating bomb hoax threats made to a number of schools, with the horror warning signed off ‘Allahu Akbar’. It comes after Stormont’s education minister said more than 150 schools in Northern Ireland had received bomb threats, which are not being treated as viable.
Minister Paul Givan confirmed that 160 schools had been subject to the communications in Northern Ireland. Police Scotland said it received hundreds of phone calls from concerned families, stating it was working to identify the perpetrator.
A spokesperson said: “Police Scotland received more than 300 calls after threatening messages were sent to a number of schools across Scotland.
Police Scotland is working to find the perpetrator(Image: K Neville via Getty Images)
“These messages are being treated as a hoax. Officers and staff from Police Scotland’s cyber and fraud unit are carrying out extensive enquiries to establish the source. For information about specific schools, contact the relevant local authority.
It is understood some schools around Glasgow were evacuated on Monday morning, but have since reopened.
In a letter sent to parents and guardians, Glasgow City Council confirmed it is continuing to work with police to look into the matter, and that the children’s safety remains their top priority.
A spokesperson for the council added: “Police are treating the messages as a hoax, and we will help officers as part of their investigation. Our education director has issued a comms to our families to reassure them of the actions that were followed as the safety of our pupils and staff remain our top priority.”
The Scottish Government said it was informed about the hoax threats. A spokesperson said: “We are aware threatening messages have been sent to a number of schools across Scotland and elsewhere in the UK. Police Scotland is investigating and treating (them) as a hoax.”
Mr Givan told reporters in Stormont earlier: “This morning, 160 schools received a threat reporting – it would appear to me from Islamists threatening that Sharia law will be brought into our country and that there is viable devices within those school settings and it was signed off, ‘Allahu Akbar’.”
He added: “That has been escalated to the PSNI and the Education Authority are having emergency meetings with the police this morning. At this stage, the advice to schools is that we’re not treating this as a viable threat but it has clearly caused huge alarm.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
