Government says ‘no need to evacuate’ after hundreds of schools receive hoax bomb threat emails

HUNDREDS OF SCHOOLS across Ireland have received threatening emails this morning.

A threatening email was also sent to The Journal, RTÉ and several UK news organisations, including Sky News, Reuters, the BBC and The Guardian.

Around 400 schools across Munster received an email, which was sent from a different email address to the one used to contact media organisations. Schools across Dublin and Northern Ireland also received a threatening email.

In a statement, gardaí said they are “engaging with a number of educational establishments”.

“An Garda Síochána is aware of a generic communication that has been sent to a number of educational establishments on Wednesday 11 November,” a garda spokesperson said.

“An Garda Síochána assess this threat as not credible and is not advising any educational establishment to evacuate.”

Gardaí from the National Security Intelligence Service are currently involved in investigating the incidents.

Garda sources also said that advice to response members is to advise the schools and businesses who contact them to check their buildings and if they insist on a response a garda car will be sent to ease their concerns.

The Department of Education said it was “aware” of the threats, and has liaised with gardaí “at senior level in regard to this incident”.

“An Garda Síochána has advised the department and is advising schools that based on their review of the threat there is no need for schools to evacuate,” a department spokesperson said.

“If a school has received this email, it is asked to please contact the emergency services at 999 and follow the advice of An Garda Síochána.”

The Education Authority (EA) in Northern Ireland said the message sent to schools there has similarities with a threat sent last month, which police subsequently declared a hoax.

“At this stage, we have not been made aware of any evidence of any credible threat to schools,” the authority said.

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“Investigations are continuing. It is for the PSNI to determine the credibility or otherwise of any such message.”

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it is conducting urgent inquiries.

“Police received reports today, Wednesday 11 November, of a concerning email sent to a number of schools across Northern Ireland,” a spokesperson said.

“As a result of this email, police are conducting urgent inquiries and liaising with the schools in question.”

The EA advised schools to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to police.

“We fully appreciate that any message of this nature is distressing and can assure schools, parents/carers and children and young people that we will provide a further update following engagement with police.”

A number of schools in Scotland also received threatening emails this morning.

In a statement, Scottish police said that the messages “were immediately assessed and are being treated as hoaxes”.

“Our enquiries have established that there is nothing to suggest that they represent a credible threat or that there is any wider threat to the public,” a spokesperson said.

“We understand how distressing messages of this nature can be for pupils, parents, carers and school staff, and the concern they can understandably cause.”

On Tuesday, gardaí dealt with a number of similar threats in Ireland. Sources said an airline was also targeted on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters, Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly indicated that they believe the perpetrators are from outside Ireland and are designed to undermine EPC events.

Additional reporting from PA and Niall O’Connor

This is a breaking news story and will be updated