UK school bomb scare: Met investigates 'Arabic' threats as Jewish schools targeted across country

Eight Jewish schools across the UK and six schools in London - some of which are Jewish - received phonecalls threatening bomb attacks on Monday (8 February). Reports claim the schools received calls with a pre-recorded message, with a voice threatening a bomb attack while Arabic or Islamic music played in the background.

Jewish security group Shomrim London claimed nine schools had received the threatening call, reminding the community to remain "calm, vigilant and report anything suspicious to the anti-terrorist hotline". None of the Jewish schools are believed to have been evacuated over the incident.

The Met Police has confirmed that a "number of schools" received calls, but would not comment further. It is understood that officers checked the schools in question and declared a false alarm.

Thousands of pupils across the country were evacuated from at least 14 schools in London, the West Midlands and Cornwall after a series of bomb scares sparked panic across the country last month.

Four schools in the capital, including ones in the borough of Merton, were evacuated on 26 January, while the same occurred for six in Sandwell, Dudley and Birmingham in the Black Country. School buildings in Truro, St Ives and Penzance, Devon were also evacuated.

A 14-year-old boy was arrested in January in connection with a hoax bomb threat made to a school in Birmingham. The teenager allegedly made a threatening call to Great Barr Comprehensive School.

West Midlands Police said the investigation is not linked to a series of other hoax bomb threats made across the West Midlands recently, which have seen thousands of pupils evacuated from school buildings as a precaution.

The treats have not been isolated to the UK. Hoaxes at school in France and India have led to evacuations of pupils.