School into lockdown with pupils ‘hiding underneath tables’ | UK | News | EUROtoday

A college in Toxteth has been the most recent within the Liverpool space to be plunged right into a lockdown. This morning, January 26, police swooped within the Belvedere Academy following a suspected hoax menace despatched by electronic mail.

Parents and carers have been informed officers have been sweeping the positioning as a precaution whereas youngsters and employees have been saved inside. In a later replace, government principal Julie Taylor confirmed the varsity had been given the all-clear, including the e-mail was just like hoax threats that compelled two different Liverpool colleges into lockdown final week. Merseyside police is investigating the incident. In a message seen by the Liverpool Echo, The Belvedere Academy stated: “We have received a suspicious email similar to other local schools last week and have taken the precaution to go into lockdown. Police are now onsite and all children and staff are secure. We will update you in due course.”

Mrs Taylor later offered an replace by way of one other message which learn: “For your information, the academy received a suspicious email this morning similar to those received by schools in Liverpool last week. We followed our lockdown protocol whilst the police attended and swept the site with the senior team.

“Following the police’s all clear, we are actually out of lockdown and are again to traditional operations. Well completed to employees and college students for responding so sensibly to this occasion as we’d anticipate.”

Speaking to our sister title, a distressed parent said she rushed to the school after hearing “children and lecturers have been hiding underneath tables” while police “swept the constructing.”

“It’s terrifying for all,” she added. “I did go there in a panic and there was just one police automotive there on the entrance of the constructing, somebody was manning the gates that have been locked.”

Superintendent Anthony Fairhurst said: “We can affirm that enquiries are ongoing after a report of malicious communications at Belvedere Academy in Liverpool at round 8.35am this morning (Monday 26 January).

“At this stage it is believed to be a hoax, and we will be looking to identify those involved and take appropriate action.

“Our officers are presently on the college and are offering recommendation and reassurance to oldsters, carers, college students and residents as enquiries proceed.”

Anyone with information, can call 101 or DM @MerpolCC on social media, quoting log number 159 of 26 January. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Two other Liverpool schools were also hit by hoax threats last week. Holly Lodge Girls’ College in West Derby was placed into lockdown on January 19 before police confirmed the threat was a hoax and pupils were allowed to go home.

Parents and guardians were sent texts from school bosses just before 3pm confirming the school was in lockdown.

It was later confirmed by Merseyside Police the action was taken after a hoax threat and pupils were allowed to go home.

On Tuesday evening, West Derby School, just a short distance from Holly Lodge, also warned parents and carers it would be closed on Wednesday because of a “critical emergency state of affairs”.

Police said that incident is also believed to be a hoax, with a number of schools targeted by similar malicious emails.

Liverpool Council and Merseyside Police issused a joint statement on Wednesday, January 21.

The statement said: “We want to reassure dad and mom and carers that colleges in Liverpool have properly established and practiced procedures to swep youngsters and college employees protected when colleges are made conscious of potential incidents or threats

“Merseyside Police enquiries regarding the cause of these threats are ongoing, but at this stage we believe they are hoax messages and there have been no credible threats in Liverpool. Officers are continuing to provide reassurance and advice to those schools.”

The assertion added: “The safety of students and staff is our highest priority. We’d like to thank parents and carers for their patience and understanding and ask that they continue to follow advice and guidance from their child’s individual schools.”