Teenager arrested after bomb threat made to West Sussex school

Police are treating the threatening messages as a hoax

Author: Ryan BurrowsPublished 14th Feb 2025

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested by police in connection with a bomb threat made to pupils at a school in West Sussex.

Parents of year ten pupils at Downlands Community School in Hassocks reported receiving threatening messages on Wednesday night (February 12th) about the possibility of a device being detonated there on Thursday.

No pupils were harmed during the incident.

Sussex Police has said the incident is being treated as a hoax.

Officers are investigating whether the school's computer system was hacked, following reports that messages were shared via its Microsoft Teams system.

The 14-year-old detained has been taken into custody on suspicion of sending a communication threatening death or serious harm.

The school is expected to open as normal on Friday.

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