Police stand guard outside 'locked down' schools as worried parents collect their children

Police riot vans, police officers and security staff were standing guard outside three Manchester schools this afternoon after pupils were forced to remain inside on 'lockdown' following malicious communications.

Manchester High School for Girls, Manchester Grammar and Withington Girls School were among those affected by an email which ‘made threats to pupils and staff’, the Manchester Evening News understands. A number of other schools across the region, including in Liverpool and Cheshire, also received the same email, prompting similar lockdowns - where students were kept inside.

An email sent to parents and guardians of students at Manchester High School for Girls said: "We do not know if this threat is credible but I am treating it as such until I receive information from police to the contrary.

"As a result we have kept pupils inside the school buildings throughout the day and we have been visited by police who have advised us they will keep in touch to update us about the ongoing nature of this potential threat."

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A GMP spokesperson said the force has received reports of malicious communications being sent to schools across Manchester. The reports are currently being investigated to ensure the safety of schools and local communities, they added.

Chief Insp Chris Boyd of GMP's City of Manchester Division, said: "We take reports of this nature very seriously and whilst we have not advised any schools to close, our officers will nevertheless be stepping up their high-visibility presence around schools at the end of the day today to provide reassurance to them and the wider public."

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