School bomb threats: Everything you need to know so far

Police arrested the men in connection with a series of break ins at supermarkets and golf courses (Picture: Police Scotland)

Once again, hundreds of schools across Scotland have been evacuated following bomb threats.

Police Scotland insists the threats are not credible, and many schools are therefore choosing not to evacuate as a precaution.

This is less than a month after a similar bomb threat hoax caused chaos in Scottish schools.

Here is what we know so far.

Which schools have been evacuated?

The messages appear to have been sent to hundreds of schools all across the country, with several of them choosing to evacuate as a precaution.

The messages were also sent to schools in Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK.

Over 270 schools in Scotland have been confirmed to have been targeted.

Portobello High, St Augustine, Currie and Broughton are among the Edinburgh schools evacuated.

In Glasgow, pupils were seen leaving a number of schools but education chiefs later confirmed that police were treating the incident as a hoax, with schools urged to continue their day as normal.

Meanwhile, in Highland some schools made the decision to activate their emergency protocols.

This comes after another nationwide bomb threat last month in Scottish schools.

Is there a real threat?

Not according to Police Scotland. The force says it understands the threats are “distressing” and will cause concern”, but said: “Our advice is that there is no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from education based solely on the content of the emails.

“They have been sent widely to distribution lists across the UK and Northern Ireland, and our assessment remains that they do not represent a credible threat.”

John McGhee, executive director of education at Glasgow City Council added: “Our police colleagues have confirmed this is a hoax and that schools should not be evacuated.”

Several local authorities have issued similar messages to parents.

What do parents need to do?

Most schools and local authorities that are affected are contacting parents using their usual communication methods.

Many are reassuring parents that there is no credible threat and the schools will therefore not be closing.

What is Police Scotland doing?

Police Scotland’s cyber and fraud unit is carrying out “extensive inquiries” to try and figure out where these messages have come from.

The force said its officers are working with law enforcement partners across the UK and internationally.