At least eight Jewish schools across the UK received bomb threats on Monday, according to the Community Security Trust. The threats are the latest in a series of similar such warnings that have marked the resumption of the school year.
A recorded message, with a voice threatening that the school in question will be bombed, while Arabic or Islamic music was heard in the background, was the means chosen to deliver the threat.
The press bureau of the Metropolitan Police Service said that six schools, including non-Jewish schools, had received bomb threats in the capital, but that all schools had been checked by the police and cleared of evidence of any bombs or explosives had been found.
The police are not seeing these threats as credible, an official in the press bureau said, although the schools issued there own warnings.
Following bomb threats this morning to Jewish schools we are in contact with @metpoliceuk & ask the community to remain calm but vigilant
— Shomrim London (@shomrimlondon) February 8, 2016
A police spokesperson confirmed the threats, but explained they were part of a wider problem that has affected schools from across the spectrum since January.
He said: “This has been happening over the last couple of weeks with people making hoax bomb threats to schools in the city, and it looks like it could go on.
“We have been informed that a few Jewish schools have now been targeted. We are not treating these calls any differently from the rest, but if it looks like it is focusing on faith schools or is inciting hate crime, then we will take a harder approach.”
Schools in Birmingham also received the bomb threat on Monday, while schools in Glasgow reported similar warnings last week.
Last week, the CST reported that 2015 had seen the third-highest number of anti-Semitic hate incidents ever in one year in the UK, totaling 924 attacks including abusive behaviour, verbal abuse, anti-Semitic graffiti, some minor physical attacks and four serious violent assaults.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.