School terror bomb threat hoax: 'Utterly reprehensible' culprits should be ashamed of inflicting fear on children, says teachers' body

The people behind today’s hoax bomb threat should be ashamed of the fear and anxiety they’ve inflicted on children, a major teaching union has said.

NASUWT condemned the individuals responsible for a series of threatening communications sent to more than 300 schools across the province, as well as hundreds more in Scotland and the Republic.

placeholder image — Maxine Murphy-Higgins from teachers' union NASUWT condemned the second mass hoax threat to Northern Ireland schools in less than four weeks. Photo: NASUWT

The union’s national official for Northern Ireland, Maxine Murphy-Higgins, said: “Schools should be places where pupils can learn, and where teachers and school principals can carry out their work, free from intimidation and fear.

“Any action which deliberately seeks to cause alarm in our school communities is utterly reprehensible.”

Ms Murphy-Higgins added that the hoax threats had “disrupted the education of thousands of children and young people” across hundreds of schools, and sparked “significant concern” in their communities.

“Schools have once again demonstrated immense professionalism in responding to a difficult and fast-moving situation while putting the safety and wellbeing of pupils first,” she said.

“No teacher or school leader should have to deal with threats of this nature. Our thoughts are with all those pupils, parents and staff who have been affected.”

Meanwhile Ulster Unionist leader Jon Burrows, a former high-ranking police officer who is also his party’s education spokesman, questioned whether the people behind the new hoax are connected to the perpetrators of last month’s similar incident that sparked widespread school evacuations.

“It is utterly appalling that schools across Northern Ireland have once again been targeted with a threatening email," he said.

“Schools should be safe places of learning. Whoever is behind this is deliberately setting out to frighten children, worry parents and disrupt principals and staff who already have more than enough on their plates. It is despicable.

“Swift enquiries must now follow to find the source of this email and whether it is linked to last month’s threats, so that those responsible can be identified and held to account.”