School evacuated after bomb threat
Hoax call causes chaos at Doonfoot Primary
An Ayr school was evacuated after receiving a call about a BOMB THREAT on Tuesday morning.
Doonfoot Primary was one of a number of schools across the country targeted by hoaxers who left information about the “bomb” through an automated phone message.
School workers received a call telling them there was an “explosive device” within the buildings.
Pupils and staff were rushed from the primary school while fire crews combed the building to make sure it was safe.
It’s understood the evacuation lasted less than an hour and roads around the school were closed before emergency services gave the all clear and opened the doors to around 350 pupils and staff again.
Douglas Hutchison, South Ayrshire Council’s director of educational services, said: “Doonfoot Primary was one of a number of schools in Scotland to receive a threat via the telephone today.
“While there was no suggestion that this was a credible threat, the school was evacuated as a precaution and the children were taken to Greenan Shore where they were looked after by teachers and school staff.
“Colleagues from the emergency services completed a search of the school building and, as soon as it was declared safe, the children and staff returned to school.”
Schools in North and South Lanarkshire and East Lothian are also believed to have been among more than a dozen schools targeted across the country.
Assistant chief constable Steve Johnson said: “Police Scotland is investigating a series of malicious hoax threats made to 13 primary and secondary schools across the country today.
“There is no information to suggest these threats were terrorist related. Police Scotland is working with other forces to investigate who is responsible and whether the incidents are linked to others in the UK.
“We take hoaxes extremely seriously. They divert police resources and cause disruption and alarm to the public.
Ayr MSP John Scott blasted the hoaxer and praised the work of both the emergency services and schools in dealing with the call.
He said: “Targeting primary schools in any kind of hoax is utterly reprehensible and we can only hope that those responsible are both identified and subject to the full force of the law.
“It’s a credit to the school staff and local emergency services that this situation was handled so professionally, but it remains disgraceful that such an incident should have taken place at all.”