It is the third school in Merseyside to receive a hoax email this week
Another Merseyside school received a threatening hoax email today, resulting in pupils being locked in classrooms. Greenbank High School in Southport was placed into “shelter mode”, meaning doors and windows are locked during lessons, following threats made over email.
It comes after two schools in the region received similar threats over email this week. On Monday, parents and guardians of children at Holly Lodge Girls’ College in West Derby 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 walk from Holly Lodge, told parents and carers that the school would be closed on Wednesday because of a “serious emergency situation.”
The ECHO understands the Southport-based girls-only school received a similar email sent to the previous two schools this week from a similar email address. Merseyside Police attended the school after officers were notified and checked the grounds.
In a text message sent to parents at round 1.30pm and seen by the ECHO, the school said it had “moved briefly into shelter mode following police advice” following the hoax email.
Ms Davina Aspinall, headteacher at Greenbank High School said: “Like other schools in the region we received email correspondence today of a concerning nature.
“While both Merseyside Police and the Southport Learning Trust believe this correspondence to be a hoax, absolutely no risks were taken and we immediately enacted our shelter mode policy.
“During shelter mode all education continues as normal with added security measures including the locking of all internal doors and windows. Any pupils taking lessons outside were brought indoors as a precaution.
“We immediately contacted parents and carers to alert them to this matter and have maintained communication with them throughout the afternoon.
“The swift support from both Merseyside Police and our dedicated Safer Schools Officer has been fantastic and we would like to place on record our thanks to them.
“Thanks must also go to our staff and pupils for their calm and measured behaviour during this incident and we are incredibly proud of their response, We look forward to welcoming pupils and staff back to school on Monday to resume education as normal.”
Parents of pupils are believed to have attended the school following the text message.
A Merseyside Police spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we are investigating an incident of malicious communications reported shortly before 1pm by Greenbank High School in Southport today, Friday 23 January.
“At this stage it is believed to be a hoax, and we will be looking to identify those involved and take appropriate action.
“Officers are currently at the school to provide reassurance, and enquiries are ongoing into the incident.”
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