Police treat school threat messages as a hoax

Police Scotland is treating threatening messages sent to schools across Scotland on October 19 as a hoax, and says there is nothing to suggest a threat to the public. The messages prompted evacuations or closures at some schools and were followed by lower-than-usual attendance in several council areas when pupils returned after the October break. Police inquiries to establish who sent them were continuing on October 21. Glasgow City Council said attendance had fallen after the messages emerged. Some Glasgow schools had about 50% fewer pupils than usual, according to figures reported from the council. That figure applies to some schools, rather than Glasgow as a whole. Other councils also reported elevated absences. East Ayrshire recorded 4,881 pupils absent, compared with 1,600 on October 1. Midlothian reported an absence rate of 21.5% across primary and secondary schools, compared with 6.9% on the same day a year earlier. Edinburgh’s council said attendance was below average on Tuesday, October 20, after schools reopened. In Edinburgh, some school buildings were evacuated as a precaution while staff were present for in-service days on October 19. The council said no pupils...