Jewish schools sent bomb ‘hoax’ threats

Jewish schools were among the victims of a bomb hoax on Monday as police and Jewish security representatives sought to reassure anxious parents.

The Community Security Trust (CST) urged Jewish schools to “continue as normal” after the threats from an unknown source, believed to be based in north America, were sent to schools around the country, demanding money.

In a message to Jewish institutions, the CST told the schools’ security personnel to “continuously sweep” their locations and report anything suspicious, but warned against evacuating or ‘invacuating’ the premises.

“A number of Jewish schools have received email bomb threats from an unknown source demanding money this morning,” a spokesman said. “We want to ensure every location is aware and that they step up their security.”

Police said “a large number” of schools had been sent the bomb hoax cash demands, and several schools did take emergency measures, including Kantor King Solomon School (KKS) in Ilford.

“There was a national threat made to lots of schools this morning and KKS went into invacutation to ensure the safety of our site,” tweeted the Jewish school. “This was in conjunction with CST and the Metropolitan Police. We have established that there is no further threat and School is now running as normal.”

Other faith schools were also targeted, with a Catholic girls’ school in the Midlands evacuated, and police said the threats were sent across the UK, with several schools as far north as Northumbria reporting the hoax.