The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said a “threatening” email which caused six schools in Northern Ireland to close on Monday was a hoax.
The PSNI said emails were sent to a total of nine schools – three in Strabane, Co Tyrone, three in Ballycastle, Co Antrim and three in Enniskillen in the early hours of Monday, causing the schools in Strabane and Ballycastle to close over security concerns.
“Officers were immediately deployed to each school to engage with staff,” police said. The schools in Enniskillen remained open.
“Checks have not, at this time, resulted in anything untoward at any of the schools,” the PSNI said in a statement at Monday lunchtime. “Based on enquiries and information to date, police are treating this as a hoax.”
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Chief Superintendent Gillian Kearney said the PSNI “take incidents of this nature very seriously and we understand the concern in the community, not to mention the disruption it has caused in each of the school communities and for students and parents.
“Thank you to each of the schools for their assistance with our enquiries to date.”
She said the police inquiry was ongoing and the PSNI would continue to liaise with each of the schools impacted. “We urge everyone, in the meantime, to be vigilant and report anything suspicious to police immediately.”
Jason Barr, an independent councillor in Strabane, Co Tyrone, said he was dropping his seven-year-old daughter off at Strabane Primary School on Monday morning “and was met by two police officers, who said: ‘listen, the school’s closed today due to security reasons'.
“I asked what the issue was, and they said they couldn’t disclose that at that time.
“My daughter kept asking questions on the way back home, what’s wrong Daddy, why are we not in school today, why were the police there?
“It’s caused a lot of fear and a lot of worry within the community,” he said. “There are now posts being shared online from as far back as 2016 about a bomb being found outside a school, so there’s a lot of false information out there.”
Mr Barr said three schools in the town – Strabane Academy, Holy Cross College and Strabane Primary School – had to close on Monday.
“Children’s education is affected today, parents' income is affected because they can’t get to work, so it’s just caused widespread disruption and it needs to be condemned.
“Obviously there are other schools in Strabane that weren’t closed today but parents went to those schools and took their children out because they were afraid and they didn’t know what was going on.
“You’re supposed to go to school to feel safe, and then for parents to receive a phone call to say you have to remove your children from school as quickly as possible due to security reasons, it’s very worrying and parents are rightly angry and worried,” he said.
In a post on social media, Holy Cross College in Strabane said: “Unfortunately the school has had to close today due to a security concern.
“Any children already en route, we would ask that parents make arrangements to collect them.
“We will update you all as soon as possible this morning.”
The same message was posted on the Facebook account of Strabane Academy, and of Cross and Passion College in Ballycastle, Co Antrim.
St Patrick’s and St Brigid’s Primary School in Ballycastle said the school was closed until further notice.
The DUP said its understanding was that nine schools had been affected, including three in Strabane and three in Enniskillen.
The DUP Assembly member (MLA) Gary Middleton said he had spoken to the PSNI and there was no further detail on the nature of the email communication received by schools “other than that it was of a threatening nature.
“They are working with the Met police in England as well, so I think similar concerns have been raised at schools in England as well, so it seems to be across the board.
“It’s caused a lot of disruption today and a lot of concern,” Mr Middleton said. “The important thing here is making sure the situation is communicated well to parents so that they feel safe, but also that those who are responsible are apprehended.”
Meanwhile, Erne Integrated College in Co Fermanagh posted: “Due to a security alert this morning, traffic around the school and Erne Integrated Primary is extremely backed up.
“We are open as normal, after the all-clear was given by the PSNI.”
Additional reporting – PA.
