Police say they are treating threatening email sent to NI schools as a hoax

The email was sent to nine schools in Northern Ireland on Monday, March 24, causing some of them to close.

The PSNI released a statement saying that they are: “At this time, treating the matter as a hoax.”

Police received reports from three schools in Strabane, three schools in Ballycastle and three schools in Enniskillen that they had received an email during the early hours of March 24. Officers were immediately deployed to each school to engage with staff.

The police said that “checks have not, at this time, resulted in anything untoward at any of the schools. Based on enquiries and information to date, police are treating this as a hoax.”

Three schools in Enniskillen who received the email stayed open while the schools in Ballycastle and three in Strabane closed.

Chief Superintendent Gillian Kearney said: "We take incidents of this nature very seriously and we understand the concern in the community, not to mention the disruption it has caused in each of the school communities and for students and parents.

"Thank you to each of the schools for their assistance with our enquiries to date.

"Our enquiries are ongoing and we will continue to liaise with each of the schools impacted to provide reassurance.

"We urge everyone, in the meantime, to be vigilant and report anything suspicious to police immediately by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency."