Edinburgh council reassures parents as schools set 'to open as planned' tomorrow following hoax bomb threat
Pupils to return to schools across Edinburgh tomorrow as normal
Edinburgh council has moved to reassure parents after safety concerns were voiced following a hoax bomb threat which saw schools evacuated on Monday.
Schools across the city were evacuated between 9.30am and 10am following a UK-wide bomb threat against schools, which Police Scotland later confirmed was a hoax.
Due to Monday being an in-service day following the October holidays, no pupils were in school at the time of the evacuations.
But, with pupils due to return to school on Tuesday, parents in the Scottish capital have taken to social media to voice concerns about their children’s safety.
One said: “So it's frustrating to the council, but to the parents and teachers it's beyond frustrating as the council's response is a bit cavalier.”
Another parent said: “Are the schools reopening tomorrow or what? This is shocking.”
One parent added: “I really hope further, more in-depth communication is sent to all parents before we are expected to send our kids back to school. Letters are out, but still not reassuring. I expect to hear from our First Minister today.”
Edinburgh council’s education convener has reassured parents that they have nothing to fear.
Councillor James Dalgleish said: “I’m pleased that, following police advice, our schools will be open to welcome back pupils as planned tomorrow.”
In his earlier statement, Cllr Dalgleish said: “While I’m obviously relieved that this is has been confirmed as a hoax, I’m hugely frustrated that someone would target schools and young people in this way – causing unnecessary disruption right across the UK.”
He added: “With it being an in-service day here in Edinburgh, the impact on our pupils was thankfully more Iimited but that doesn’t take away from the stupidity of this person’s actions.
“I am, however, reassured that our procedures were properly followed and that, as far as possible, we were able to put alternative arrangements in place.”
Edinburgh teachers earlier today told the Evening News they were left “shaken up” after being told they must evacuate the school buildings.
One said: “We were right in the middle of training, and the headteacher from the school next door came and told us. Apparently other schools were sent an email but we didn’t get one.
“It’s a bit stressful, we were enjoying our training, and got this shock, but it’s worrying, and the unknown of what happens tomorrow. We are all just a bit shaken up about the bomb threat, as you could imagine.
“It was just as well the kids were off today as that would have been a logistical nightmare getting them all picked up and taken home.”
While, a woman who was in Leith Primary this morning, said: “At about 9.30 this morning, a staff member came into the room and said ‘I don’t know how to tell you this but you need to get out of the building now’.
“On the way out I asked the headteacher what was happening and he said they had received an email to say a bomb had been placed in the building.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police Scotland received more than 300 calls after threatening messages were sent to a number of schools across Scotland.
“These messages are being treated as a hoax. Officers and staff from Police Scotland’s Cyber and Fraud Unit are carrying out extensive enquiries to establish the source.
“For information about specific schools, contact the relevant local authority.”