Police say 'no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from education' following latest 'hoax' threats
Last updated 11th Nov 2026
Scottish Borders Council has confirmed schools in our region were among those to receive what’s being described as “threatening messages”, in the second nationwide alert in less than a month, today (Wednesday).
Some buildings were evacuated in neighbouring local authority areas, acting on the information received.
It comes just weeks after bomb threats were sent to schools across the country.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by Greatest Hits Radio has revealed more than TWO THOUSAND children were marked absent from school locally on the first day back after the October break, following the first incident.
But police say the messages once again are being treated as a hoax.
“Our advice is that there is no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from education based solely on the content of the emails,” a spokesperson added.
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Around 1,000 schools across Scotland received the malicous message.
No schools in the Scottish Borders were evacuated.
But, in a message sent to parents, Scottish Borders Council says it is aware of an email received earlier this morning by “a number of its schools which contained a threatening message”.
It adds: “The matter was immediately reported to Police Scotland, and the Council is liaising with them and Emergency Planning colleagues. There is currently no known intelligence indicating a credible threat and Police Scotland are investigating as a hoax communication."
Police Scotland's Assistant Chief Constable Mark Sutherland said: "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.
“We understand how distressing messages of this nature can be for pupils, parents, carers and school staff, and the concern they can understandably cause.
“Our advice is that there is no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from education based solely on the content of the emails.
“They have been sent widely to distribution lists across the UK and Northern Ireland and our assessment remains that they do not represent a credible threat.
“Police Scotland’s Cyber and Fraud Unit is carrying out extensive enquiries to establish the source of the messages, and officers continue to liaise with law enforcement partners across the UK and internationally."
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