Edinburgh teachers sent home

Edinburgh schools have been evacuated this morning after a ‘hoax’ bomb threat was sent to schools across the country.

Teachers in the city, who are in school for an in-service day today, Monday, October 19, following last week’s October school holiday, have told the Evening News that they have been sent home from school buildings due to “UK-wide bomb threats to schools”.

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City of Edinburgh Council has been approached for comment, but the Evening News has learned that Queensferry Primary, Leith Primary, Pirniehall Primary, St Andrew’s Fox Covert Primary and Fox Covert Primary School have been evacuated this morning.

One Edinburgh primary school teacher, who asked not to be named, said that she and her colleagues were informed at around 9.50am that they were to be sent home due to “UK-wide bomb threats to schools”.

She 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 UK-wide apparently, with reports in Northern Ireland that kids and teachers have been sent home, with schools there told to take it seriously.

“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.

“We have all been sent home and are now just waiting to hear more regarding going back to school tomorrow when the pupils return from their holiday.”

A woman who was at Leith Primary School this morning said: “There were about 50 or 60 adults in the building today, but the children were off because it was an in-service day.

“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.

“I now know of at least four other schools in Edinburgh which have also been evacuated.

“It’s caused a lot of disruption. The message is to work from home the rest of the day.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We are aware of threatening messages being sent to a number of schools across Scotland. These are being treated as a hoax and officers are investigating.”

A number of schools across Northern Ireland received bomb threats on Monday morning. Police there confirmed that they are conducting “urgent enquiries” into the threatening emails. It is understand the messages claimed "an explosive device" is located within the school buildings.