Hundreds of schools across Europe evacuated over hoax bomb threats

Summarised from 17 outlets · 23 reports · Updated 11 Nov, 16:08 · Archive

Hundreds of schools in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Italy received emailed bomb threats on Wednesday and were evacuated, though police said they were hoaxes with no credible danger.

Hundreds of schools across Scotland, Northern Ireland and Italy received hoax bomb threat emails on Wednesday morning, triggering a major security alert across Europe.

Police Scotland said at least 470 schools across the country had received threatening messages, with a further 300 schools targeted in Northern Ireland. In Italy, approximately 300 schools were evacuated after receiving similar threats. Some schools were evacuated as a precaution, though many subsequently allowed pupils to return to class after authorities confirmed the messages posed no genuine danger.

The threatening emails were sent widely to distribution lists across multiple countries. In Italy, the message was signed "Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan" and contained violent language claiming to describe an explosive device placed in the building. Police and officials in the UK and Italy confirmed that no explosives or suspicious devices were found during inspections.

Police Scotland stated: "Our enquiries have established that there is nothing to suggest that they represent a credible threat or that there is any wider threat to the public." The force advised that there was "no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from education based solely on the content of the emails." Police Service Northern Ireland similarly confirmed they were treating the messages as hoaxes and conducting urgent enquiries.

Northern Ireland's Education Authority noted that the messages had similarities to a hoax sent to schools last month, which had also been declared a hoax. Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara told local media that the threats appeared to be part of a strategy aimed at causing alarm and concern, and were likely a cyberattack rather than a genuine threat. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni convened an emergency meeting of government ministers and said there was no evidence of concrete danger.

Police Scotland's Cyber and Fraud Unit is carrying out extensive enquiries to establish the source of the messages. Officers continue to liaise with law enforcement partners across the UK and internationally. The hoax threats came amid broader European concerns about hybrid warfare tactics, following recent false bomb threats against airlines, supermarkets and broadcasters.

How it is being reported

• Schools evacuated across Italy after bomb threatsSchools were evacuated across Italy on Wednesday following a series of hoax bomb threats, but Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said there was no "concrete danger". Similar hoax threats were reported in schools in Britain and Ireland, which reportedly prompted some evacuations in Scotland. Meloni said she had called a government meeting with security and intelligence chiefs for Wednesday to discuss the threats. FRANCE 24's Emerald Maxwell reports.France 24 · 11 Nov, 19:29
• Bomb threats hit hundreds of schools in Italy, Ireland and UKItalian authorities said it was "likely a cyberattack" rather a "real threat."Politico Europe · 11 Nov, 16:41
• Hoax bomb threats made to hundreds of schools in Scotland and Northern IrelandPolice assure parents and teachers that warnings were bogus despite pupils being evacuated from some sites UK politics live – latest updates Hundreds of schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland were hit by a fresh wave of hoax bomb threats on Wednesday, with some sites evacuated as a precaution. Police said at least 470 schools, from Dumfries in the south of Scotland to Aberdeenshire and Orkney in the north, had received the hoax warnings. At least 300 schools were affected in Northern Ireland. Similar claims were sent in a “generic communication” to schools in the Republic of Ireland.…The Guardian · 11 Nov, 15:58
• Hundreds of UK schools hit by hoax bomb threats as pupils evacuated in mass scareA wave of bomb threats continue to blight institutions across Europe after hundreds of schools across Scotland and Northern Ireland were targeted by malicious messagesThe Mirror · 11 Nov, 15:08
• Italy evacuates over 300 schools after bomb threat — as Northern Ireland, Scotland also threatenedItalian authorities evacuated hundreds of schools Wednesday after an emailed bomb threat, the latest in a series of disruptions affecting European institutions.New York Post · 11 Nov, 14:55
• Thousands of schools in Europe get hoax bomb threatsLess than a week after more than 20 European fights got fake bomb threats, hundreds of schools in Italy, the U.K. and Ireland were hit by similar hoaxes.CBS News · 11 Nov, 14:35
• Italy: Hundreds of school evacuated after bomb threatsAlthough the government believes the threat to be a hoax, it has nevertheless prompted concerns about "hybrid warfare" in Europe. Similar messages were sent in Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Bulgaria.DW News · 11 Nov, 13:43
• Italy: Hundreds of schools evacuated after bomb threatsAlthough the government believes the threat to be a hoax, it has nevertheless prompted concerns about "hybrid warfare" in Europe. Similar messages were sent in Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Bulgaria.DW News · 11 Nov, 13:43
• At least 300 schools evacuated in Italy after email bomb alertsItalian PM Meloni says there is no danger as UK and Northern Ireland authorities also report 'bogus' alerts.Al Jazeera · 11 Nov, 13:18
• School bomb threats live: Mass UK evacuations after chilling warning from 'outside country'Schools across Scotland and Northern Ireland have been evacuated following widespread bomb threats sent by email, with police launching urgent investigations and pupils sent home.The Mirror · 11 Nov, 12:57
• Hundreds of Italian schools hit by threats in suspected bomb hoaxEmails containing the false warnings were sent to schools in Rome, Naples, Vicenza, Florence, Pisa, Trieste and other Italian cities, officials say.BBC World · 11 Nov, 12:30
• Some 300 Italian schools evacuated due to bomb threatsItalian authorities evacuated around 300 schools on Wednesday after receiving a bomb threat via emailIndependent World · 11 Nov, 12:14
• Hundreds of schools in Italy, UK evacuated over 'hoax' bomb threatsHundreds of schools across Europe were evacuated on Wednesday after receiving bomb threats, police forces say, amid growing worries of hybrid threats.CNBC · 11 Nov, 12:03
• Schools across UK targeted by bomb hoaxMultiple schools across the UK have been targeted by hoax bomb threats, police have said.The Independent · 11 Nov, 11:23
• Hundreds of schools across Italy, Scotland and Ireland receive bomb threatsIncidents appeared to be latest co-ordinated attack aimed at disrupting life in EuropeFinancial Times · 11 Nov, 11:17
• Italy evacuates at least 300 schools following email bomb alertItalian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara told local news that the number of schools impacted could riseIndependent World · 11 Nov, 11:10
• Schools evacuated across Scotland and Northern Ireland over 'bomb threats' after suspicious emailPupils in some areas of Northern Ireland and Scotland - including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife and the Highlands - were sent home for the day after a suspicious email was sent.Daily Mail · 11 Nov, 10:58
• Hundreds of schools in Italy evacuated after receiving bomb threatsAt least 300 Italian schools on Wednesday were evacuated after receiving bomb threats, the country's education minister said.France 24 · 11 Nov, 10:57
• Schools across Scotland evacuated after bomb threat just weeks after similar incidentSchools across Scotland and Northern Ireland have been evacuated this morning after a threatening email was sent. Police Scotland confirmed the messages were being treated as hoaxes. "Our enquiries have established that there is nothing to suggest that they represent a credible threat or that there is any wider threat to the public," a statement read. "We understand how distressing messages of this nature can be for pupils, parents, carers and school staff, and the concern they can understandably cause." The incident possesses eery similarities to an incident just weeks ago, where some…GB News · 11 Nov, 10:49
• Threatening emails sent to hundreds of schools treated as hoaxes, police sayThreatening emails sent to hundreds of schools across Northern Ireland and Scotland are being treated as hoaxes, police say.Sky News · 11 Nov, 10:47
• Schools evacuated in UK and across Europe after bomb threatsSchools across Scotland and Northern Ireland were evacuated (Picture: Getty Images) Schools across Scotland and Northern Ireland have been evacuated after receiving bomb threats. ‘Hundreds’ of schools reportedly received threatening emails and were forced to evacuate. All schools across Edinburgh…Metro · 11 Nov, 10:46
• Bomb threat LIVE: 'Major incident' as UK schools evacuated after chilling emailPolice are conducting urgent enquiries.Daily Express · 11 Nov, 10:38
• School bomb threats live: Mass evacuations across Northern Ireland and ScotlandSchools across Scotland and Northern Ireland have reportedly been evacuated following widespread bomb threats sent by email, with police launching urgent investigations and pupils sent home.The Mirror · 11 Nov, 10:31

In this story: Police Scotland · Police Service of Northern Ireland · Scotland · Northern Ireland · Italy · Giorgia Meloni · Giuseppe Valditara · Paul Givan

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