At least 8 Jewish schools in the UK received bomb threats on Monday, and Shomrim were working closely with Police.

Shomrim was asking the community to remain calm but remain vigilant as police launched an investigation.

Police said there were no devices found and the schools were advised not to evacuate.

The threats are believed to have been hoax telephone calls to the schools themselves. Police in the West Midlands, where two non-Jewish schools received calls, declared the threats “not credible”.

According to published reports, today’s hoax is believed to be part of a large patters on bomb threats called into schools in the past few weeks. More than 100 schools have been targeted in this hoax, and the investigation is being handled on a national level. It is believed that the phone calls were originating overseas.

Shomrim tweeted the following:

We remind the community to remain calm vigilant and report anything suspicious to the anti terrorist hotline pic.twitter.com/Qqe5bUbija

— Shomrim London (@shomrimlondon) February 8, 2016

Earlier Monday morning, the Community Security Trust sent YWN the following alert:

CST is aware of at least eight UK Jewish schools having received bomb threats this morning. These appear to be the same pre-recorded message, with an American accented voice threatening that the school will be bombed. Arabic or Islamic music can be heard in the background. Other non-Jewish schools may also have received the same message this morning and some appear to have evacuated their premises. This follows previous threats made to various non-Jewish schools in recent weeks, as referenced in CST’s email on this subject that you will have received last week.

CST advises all schools that receive this current threat, or any other threat, to contact 999 immediately.

CST has discussed the calls with Scotland Yard and we advise schools not to evacuate, but to continue schooling as normal. Security procedures must, however be fully enforced with additional security searches.

You are under no obligation to discuss this with media if asked to do so, including what your security procedures are. If you wish to refer media calls on to CST on 020 8457 9999 please do so.

If there are further developments relating to this, we will update you as soon as possible.

Thank you for your cooperation in this important matter, if you have further questions please contact CST office 020 8457 9999. In emergency, contact 999.

Regards

Community Security Trust (CST)

Office 020 8457 9999

(Dov Gordon – YWN)