The school was sent a “suspicious email” this morning
Police are investigating the message that was sent to the school(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Merseyside Police are investigating a hoax threat sent to a Liverpool school this morning. On Monday, January 26, parents and carers of pupils at The Belvedere Academy were told the school was in lockdown and officers were sweeping the school building.
In a later update, Julie Taylor, the executive principal, said the school had been given the all-clear. She added the email was similar to the hoax threats that put two other Liverpool schools into lockdown last week.
Merseyside Police believe the threat sent to The Belvedere is also a hoax. Officers are still at the school, located on Belvidere Road in Toxteth. In a statement issued to the ECHO, Superintendent Anthony Fairhurst said: “We can confirm that enquiries are ongoing after a report of malicious communications at Belvedere Academy in Liverpool at around 8.35am this morning (Monday January, 26).
“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 currently at the school and are providing advice and reassurance to parents, carers, students and residents as enquiries continue.”
In the first message, sent to parents and carers and seen by the ECHO, The Belvedere Academy said: “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.”
The message from Mrs Taylor said: “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 now out of lockdown and are back to usual operations.
“Well done to staff and students for responding so sensibly to this event as we would expect.”
A worried parent said she rushed to the school after hearing about the incident. She told the ECHO: “The Belvedere Academy received an email threat today, kids and teachers were under tables, locked down while police swept the building.
“It’s terrifying for all. I did go there in a panic and there was only one police car there at the front of the building, someone was manning the gates that were locked.”
Last week, the ECHO reported on two other schools in Liverpool which were also hit with hoax threats. On Monday, January 19, 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.”
Police said they believe this was also a hoax and that a number of schools in the area had received similar malicious emails.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, January 21, Liverpool Council and Merseyside Police said “no credible threats” have been made.
The statement said: “We would like to reassure parents and carers that schools in Liverpool have well established and practiced procedures to swep children and school staff safe when schools are made aware 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 statement 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.”
If you have any information about the suspected hoax threat this morning, you 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.
Anyone with information about the threats made last week can also call 101 or DM @MerpolCC on social media, quoting log number 649 of 20 January, or call Crimestoppers.