Two schools were “put into lockdown” after receiving threats as parents rush to pick up their children.
Redridge Primary School and Cranbrook Primary School – both in east London – reported receiving threatening emails from a “credible” source.
Police surrounded the gates on Wednesday as patrols were carried out following the emails.
Emails, seen by MyLondon, were sent to parents of children at Redbridge Primary School and Cranbrook Primary School, in Ilford on Wednesday 12 July.
But even today, a day after the threat, the schools are still reeling from the incident as one cancelled sports day.
Redbridge Primary parents were told: “The school received a credible threat today, and under the police and local authority advice we applied our lockdown procedures to ensure the safety of our children and staff.”
Yesterday’s after school clubs were cancelled and sports were cancelled today as well.
Parents at Cranbrook Primary School were told in an email that children should “promptly” be picked up as a “cautionary step”.
A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “Police are aware of a threatening email sent to a school in Redbridge. This is being investigated at pace by officers and it was not necessary for the school to be in lockdown. No arrests have been made at this time.”
The full email read: “Following a threatening email to schools locally, I would ask that you come promptly to school to collect your child today. I can assure you that your child is safe and this is purely a cautionary step.
“Please also not that we will have police presence, along with senior members of staff a the gates. Please be on time and leave quickly and safely.
“Sports day for tomorrow (Thursday) is cancelled.”
The two schools are just a mile and a half away and it isn’t yet clear why they were targeted or the exact nature of the threats.
It was also reported that Seven Kings High School, in the same area, took action but “everything has gone back to normal” as of 2pm yesterday.
Other schools like Highlands Primary School also reacted to threats.
