Rome, 11 Nov. (LaPresse) – The Police Service of Northern Ireland has stated in a press release that it is investigating the circumstances surrounding a number of threatening emails sent this morning to schools across Northern Ireland. At present, investigators believe this to be a false alarm, the statement reads. “To date, over 300 schools have reported to the police that they have received the same email containing a threat. It is believed that similar emails have also been received by some schools in Scotland. Checks carried out so far have not revealed anything suspicious or cause for concern. Based on the investigations and information gathered so far, the police consider this email, which originated from outside the UK, to be a false alarm,” the Police Service of Northern Ireland reported. The police have specified that investigations are still ongoing. “We take incidents of this nature very seriously and understand the concern within the community, in schools, amongst pupils and parents. Our investigations are still ongoing; however, at this stage, we believe the risk to the public is low,” said Deputy Chief Constable Anthony McNally. “We will continue to liaise with the schools involved, and this morning we have been working closely with the Department of Education and the Education Authority to provide reassurance. In the meantime, we urge everyone to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious circumstances to the police immediately,” he added.
Security: Threats to schools in the UK; police say it was a ‘false alarm’
Rome, 11 Nov. (LaPresse) – The Police Service of Northern Ireland has stated in a press release that it is investigating the circumstances surrounding a number of threatening emails sent this morning to schools across Northern Ireland. At present, investigators believe this to be a false alarm, the statement reads. “To date, over 300 schools have reported to the police that they have received the same email containing a threat. It is believed that similar emails have also been received by some schools in Scotland. Checks carried out so far have not revealed anything suspicious or cause for concern. Based on the investigations and information gathered so far, the police consider this email, which originated from outside the UK, to be a false alarm,” the Police Service of Northern Ireland reported. The police have specified that investigations are still ongoing. “We take incidents of this nature very seriously and understand the concern within the community, in schools, amongst pupils and parents. Our investigations are still ongoing; however, at this stage, we believe the risk to the public is low,” said Deputy Chief Constable Anthony McNally. “We will continue to liaise with the schools involved, and this morning we have been working closely with the Department of Education and the Education Authority to provide reassurance. In the meantime, we urge everyone to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious circumstances to the police immediately,” he added.