Police in Northern Ireland are investigating a threatening email sent to multiple schools and businesses after reports came in on Tuesday morning in the County Antrim area. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said officers were carrying out a number of enquiries and had stepped up reassurance patrols in the affected areas.
The force said it would be engaging with anyone affected, including schools, businesses and partner agencies, as its enquiries continued through Tuesday. It urged anyone who sees anything suspicious to call 101, and to use 999 in an emergency.
At St Benedict's College in Randalstown, the school said the PSNI had been informed of the email and that, at this stage, the matter is not being treated as a serious threat. The school said its doors would remain locked throughout the day as normal and that pupils would stay indoors until further guidance was received from police.
The incident has rippled beyond the schools that received it. The Education Authority said it would continue to liaise with schools and the PSNI, while Trevor Clarke said the wording of the message raises questions and that it had also been shared online, adding to parents' concern.
Declan Kearney said the email had caused anxiety among parents, schools and business owners across Antrim and backed the police response. He said the contents of what he called a malicious email were under investigation and that those responsible should be held to account. For now, the police response is focused on keeping schools open, keeping pupils inside where needed and keeping pressure on whoever sent the message.
