Schools across Scotland have been targeted with a fresh wave of hoax bomb threat emails, marking the second major incident of this kind within weeks. According to BBC News, at least 470 Scottish schools received the threatening messages, though police immediately determined they posed no credible danger. The incident also affected schools in Northern Ireland and beyond, with authorities across multiple regions launching investigations into the source of the coordinated campaign.
Police Scotland confirmed that specialist cyber crime officers are working to identify who sent the messages to both primary and secondary schools. Police Scotland's Cyber and Fraud Unit is conducting extensive inquiries and liaising with law-enforcement partners across the UK and internationally, indicating the scope of the investigation extends far beyond Scotland's borders.
A Police Scotland spokesperson acknowledged the distress caused by such threats:
We understand how distressing messages of this nature can be for pupils, parents, carers and school staff, and the concern they can understandably cause. Our advice is that there is no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from education based solely on the content of the emails.
How did schools respond?
Most local authorities contacted by BBC Scotland reported that schools were operating normally, though some confirmed that pupils had been evacuated as a precautionary measure. On the day the emails arrived, Wednesday, the majority of schools in Dumfries and Galloway received the message and some were evacuated. A spokesperson for the local authority explained:
Each school community/setting is unique and as such has its own way of supporting and reassuring learners and staff. We also know that local police have attended some school settings in a community capacity to assist and reassure.
In Edinburgh, Queensferry High School was evacuated and pupils were sent home. Highland Council confirmed that a number of its schools activated their emergency protocols in response to the threat. Local authorities in Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Lothian, Aberdeenshire and Orkney also confirmed their schools received the message.
What happened in previous incidents?
This represents the second major hoax bomb threat targeting Scottish schools in less than a month. On 19 October, a similar message was sent to schools around the country, generating more than 300 calls to police. Police Scotland investigated hoax bomb threat emails sent to schools across Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Renfrewshire, East Lothian and Northern Ireland, with authorities treating the threats as non-credible while schools continued operating normally. In many areas during that earlier incident, pupils were off due to half-term holidays, which may have limited disruption.
The pattern of repeated threats reflects an ongoing challenge for schools and law enforcement. A youth was previously charged after an anonymous social media account posted a hoax bomb threat naming Calderglen High School and Duncanrig High School in East Kilbride, demonstrating that some perpetrators have been identified and prosecuted.
What was the impact in Northern Ireland?
Similar bogus emails were sent to schools across Northern Ireland, with more than 300 Northern Ireland schools reporting receipt of the email, with police assessing the public risk as low and confirming that checks had found nothing untoward. The Education Authority in Northern Ireland noted that the message bore similarities to a bogus threat sent the previous month, which was treated as a hoax by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland stated that the email originated from outside the UK. The Northern Ireland Department of Education advised schools to remain open unless the PSNI advised otherwise, providing clear guidance to school leaders on how to proceed.
Did the threat extend beyond the UK?
The reach of the hoax campaign extended further than Scotland and Northern Ireland. Reports indicated that schools in Meath and Louth in the Republic of Ireland also received similar emails. Ireland's Gardaí assessed the threat as not credible, consistent with the assessment made by authorities in the UK. This multi-jurisdictional pattern suggests a coordinated campaign rather than isolated incidents.
What happens next?
The PSNI said its inquiries are continuing and that it will keep liaising with affected schools, while the Department of Education said it would provide a further update after engagement with police. The ongoing investigation by Police Scotland's Cyber and Fraud Unit, working alongside international partners, will be crucial in identifying those responsible for the campaign and preventing future incidents.
