‘Distressing messages’ sent to Orkney schools in national ‘hoax’
'No wider threat to the public' after schools across UK receive concerning communications
“Threatening” messages, thought to be part of a hoax, have been sent to all schools in Orkney.
A number of schools across Scotland and the UK received the “distressing messages.”
Police Scotland said the communications were “immediately assessed” as hoaxes.
In a statement, the force continued: “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.
“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.
“They have been sent widely to distribution lists across the UK and Northern Ireland and our assessment remains that they do not represent a credible threat.”
Police Scotland’s Cyber and Fraud Unit is carrying out extensive enquiries to establish the source of the messages.
Orkney Islands Council confirmed that all schools in the county received the messages.
A spokeswoman said: “We are following Police Scotland advice that there is no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from education based solely on the content of the emails.”