PSNI treats bomb threat to up to 300 Northern Ireland schools as hoax

Police confirm the email originated outside the UK and risk to the public remains low.

By Felo News Desk · Published Mon, 19 Oct 2026 14:24:59 GMT

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) says a bomb threat emailed to as many as 300 schools in the region is being treated as a hoax, with investigations indicating the message came from outside the United Kingdom.

What happened

On Monday morning, dozens of schools in Northern Ireland received an identical email that claimed viable explosives were present on site and concluded with the phrase “Allahu Akbar”. The threat prompted several schools to close temporarily while authorities assessed the risk. A similar wave of messages was reported in Scotland, according to Police Scotland.

What the reports add

Both the Independent and the Evening Standard report that the PSNI received reports from up to 300 schools about the same emailed threat. The Independent notes that the police suspect comparable emails were sent to other schools across the United Kingdom, while the Standard adds that Police Scotland is aware of threatening messages being sent to a number of schools in Scotland and is conducting its own investigations.

What was said

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the police “understand the concern in the community, not to mention the disruption it has caused in some school communities and for students and parents” (Independent). He added that “our enquiries are ongoing, however, at this stage we consider risk to the public as low” (Standard).

Stormont’s education minister Paul Givan described the email as “Islamist” and said it was signed off with “Allahu Akbar”. He warned that the message threatened that Sharia law would be brought into the country and that viable devices were present in schools (Standard; Independent).

How it came about

The threat emerged amid heightened vigilance over school security, following recent incidents such as the Noida school bomb threats earlier this month, which prompted extensive police sweeps (see Felo’s coverage on Noida). While the current incident is confined to the UK, the pattern of emailed threats to educational institutions mirrors those earlier hoaxes.

Key facts

Up to 300 schools in Northern Ireland reported receiving the same bomb threat email. (independent.co.uk)
Police consider the risk to the public as low and treat the threat as a hoax. (standard.co.uk)
The email ended with the phrase “Allahu Akbar” and was described as “Islamist” by the education minister. (standard.co.uk)