Multiple schools locked down after ‘threatening’ emails sent to staff and students

Manchester High School for Girls, Manchester Grammar and Withington Girls School have been named as three of the schools affected but an email sent to parents suggested “many other schools” in the area had received the same threat.

Cheshire police confirmed they had opened an investigation after the same email was sent to schools in Cheshire and Liverpool.

An email from Manchester High School for Girls to parents said: “We do not know if this threat is credible but I am treating it as such until I receive information from police to the contrary.

“As a result we have kept pupils inside the school buildings throughout the day and we have been visited by police who have advised us they will keep in touch to update us about the ongoing nature of this potential threat.”

Det Chief Inspector Justin Hancock said: “We would like to reassure parents that this is believed to be malicious and we are doing everything we can to locate the person responsible for these emails.”

Parents told the MEN that their children had not been allowed to leave school all day.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Wilko stores SAVED! Budget brand steps in last minute - full list of 71 sites
• Rayner torn apart by Lee Anderson as MP demands she 'listen to real Brits'
• Pension warning issued as triple lock ‘in flux’ after record wage growth

They added that they had not been informed of the direct nature of the incident.

Director of Marketing Lucy Barnwell at the Manchester High School for Girls confirmed security and police presence has been stepped up around the school.

Parents are expected to receive an update this evening on whether schools will be reopening as normal tomorrow.

Barnwell said the “malicious communication” was received at around 9.40am this morning.

She added that the school was placed under a “crisis management protocol”.

One primary school in Cheshire was told by police that they believed the email to be a “malicious hoax”.

“Working in conjunction with the police, they would like to reassure parents that this is believed to be a malicious hoax,” Lache Primary School said.

“Therefore, we are happy to release the children but this will need to be in a staggered and controlled way for everyone’s safety.”

Chief Inspector Chris Boyd of Greater Manchester Police said: “We take reports of this nature very seriously and whilst we have not advised any schools to close, our officers will nevertheless be stepping up their high-visibility presence around schools at the end of the day today to provide reassurance to them and the wider public.”