'Islamist' bomb threats close schools across Scotland and Northern Ireland

Schools in Northern Ireland and Scotland have closed after a bomb threat believed to be a hoax was emailed to hundreds of institutions. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said 'up to 300' schools had reported receiving the email threat, adding it had originated from outside the UK. Paul Givan, Stormont's education minister, said the warning was signed 'Allahu Akbar' but was not understood to be viable. He said the threat appeared to be from 'Islamists threatening that Sharia law will be brought into our country', adding it had caused 'huge alarm' in schools. The threat reportedly said there was 'an explosive device' inside a building. Police Scotland said similar messages had been sent to 'a number of schools' there and Glasgow City Council said it was aware of 148 schools receiving threatening messages in its local authority and some neighbouring areas. Some Glasgow schools were evacuated this morning but pupils have since returned to classrooms and are not in lockdown, a city council spokesman said. Most Scottish schools were closed this week for half term but Glasgow's reopened today. Northern Ireland's education minister Paul Givan spoke to reporters earlier as the PSNI said up to 300 schools had been targeted by what it believed to be a bomb threat Police Scotland said its officers were investigating and the emails were being treated as a hoax. In Northern Ireland, Mr Givan said: 'At this stage, the advice to schools is that we're not treating this as a viable threat but it has clearly caused huge alarm. 'Some schools have closed as a result of this threat being received through formal communication channels to those schools, something that I condemn that there has been this level of disruption caused to young people's education. 'This is something that ought to be condemned by everybody, and I am hugely disappointed that for some schools they have had to close, but it is not something that we are regarding as a viable threat, but nevertheless, hugely disruptive and very distressing.' The PSNI said its officers were urgently investigating the email, which contained 'a generalised threat', and Mr Givan said PSNI bosses had met with the region's Education Authority this morning. Police Scotland said its officers were investigating after similar email threats were sent to schools there (file pic) In a statement the Education Authority said it was 'aware that a number of schools across Northern Ireland have received a threatening email this morning'. 'We recognise the concern this may cause for school leaders, staff, pupils and families,' it said. 'We are engaging closely with the PSNI and will act on their advice. Communications have been issued to schools, and we continue to support school leaders and keep them informed.' Schools in the Scottish borders were closed for an inset day today but said they had also received the threat. Staff in some Edinburgh schools, who were working an in-service day without pupils in classrooms, were told to go home. A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'We are aware threatening messages have been sent to a number of schools across Scotland and elsewhere in the UK. 'Police Scotland is investigating and treating (them) as a hoax.'