'Threatening' email sent to schools declared a hoax

The schools gates at Strabane Academy remain closed

Police investigating a threatening email sent to nine schools in Northern Ireland on Monday, causing some of them to close, are treating the matter as a hoax.

Police received reports from three schools in Strabane, three schools in Ballycastle and three schools in Enniskillen on Monday morning that they had received an email and officers were sent to each school to engage with staff.

The content of the email has not been made public.

Education Minister Paul Givan condemned the disruption and said he welcomed the "speedy response" from the police.

Checks have not resulted in anything untoward at any of the schools, police said.

Ch Supt Gillian Kearney said: "We 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."

Police said they were speaking to the schools and the Metropolitan Police in London.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "It is being investigated whether there are any links to similar incidents reported in London earlier this month."

School closures

Strabane Academy said in a post on Facebook that a text had been sent to parents and guardians and that it would provide an update with more information "as soon as possible".

Strabane Primary School also said on social media that it was closed on Monday.

Ballycastle High School, Cross and Passion College, Ballycastle Integrated Primary School, St Patrick's & St Brigid's Primary School and Gaelscoil An Chaistil - which are all in Ballycastle - are also closed.

Erne Integrated College in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, said it received an alert about security on Monday morning but the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) attended and investigated and the school remained open.

'Rapid response'

A spokesperson for the Education Authority (EA) said it has been "working closely" with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and was grateful for the "rapid" response.

"PSNI immediately attended each school to engage with staff, and checks have not resulted in anything untoward being identified at any of the schools," the spokesperson added.

"Police enquiries are continuing, and they will continue to liaise with each of the impacted schools."

The EA is liaising with schools to provide support.

The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools said it was aware of reports of an email being sent to various schools in Strabane, Enniskillen and Ballycastle.

A spokesperson said it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage until the police conclude their investigations.

Children, parents and staff worried

Caroline had to collect her son Rubin from school early

Caroline McBurney had to collect her son Rubin from Ballycastle High School.

She said: "We received a text message saying 'as you must be aware there are security concerns' - but I wasn't aware as I was working. It was really worrying but then Rubin gave me a call to say I had to go and get them."

Rubin said he thought pupils from Cross and Passion College from across the road were on strike as they had gathered outside of the school building.

Jennifer McGuigan, principal of Ballycastle Integrated Primary School, said she had contacted the PSNI after receiving the email which she deemed to be "quite threatening"

Jennifer McGuigan, principal of Ballycastle Integrated Primary School, said she had contacted the PSNI after receiving the email which she deemed to be "quite threatening".

"They were excellent in their support and they came to our school before the children arrived.

"They did a site walk and instructed my caretaker and I that the site was okay to open."

She said it was "completely senseless that anyone would get satisfaction" from sending such an email to any school, disrupting the day for pupils, staff and parents.

"It is senseless and completely diabolical," she added.

"I am so proud of the way that my staff responded today ensuring that the children were kept safe."

Holy Cross College's principal Ciaran Johnston said the school was speaking with the PSNI about the emails but he would not comment further until investigations were complete.

Mandy Kelly works in Strabane Academy

Mandy Kelly, whose 14-year-old child is a pupil at Strabane Academy, said everything seemed normal on Monday morning until police arrived.

"The principal came up and said we were going to have to close the school as there had been a security alert," Ms Kelly, who works at the school as a catering manager, told BBC News NI.

She said the experience had been "very worrying for the children, parents and school staff".

'Completely unacceptable'

Independent councillor Jason Barr says the situation is a disgrace

Independent Derry City and Strabane District councillor Jason Barr said he was taking his daughter to Strabane Primary School on Monday morning when he was met by two police officers at the gate, who told him that the school had been closed for security reasons.

"This has put fear into many parents right throughout the Strabane district and I have been contacted right from the get-go this morning by many concerned parents," Barr said.

"It's also now disrupting education of students today, it's also maybe disrupting parents' income if they have to take a day off work to make sure their children are taken care of."

Sinn Féin councillor Paul Boggs said the "disruption to the education of young people is disgraceful and completely unacceptable".

East Londonderry SDLP MLA Cara Hunter raised the issue in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

She said: "Leaving teachers, principals, staff and pupils absolutely terrified. This is absolutely unacceptable... our children in NI deserve to feel safe and they deserve to go to education without any barrier to their safety.

"We will not normalise this shameful and sinister behaviour and perpetrators must be held accountable."

Fermanagh and South Tyrone DUP MLA Deborah Erskine said: "Targeting schools - places of learning, personal growth, and friendship for young people - is particularly reprehensible."