POLICE rushed to a Scottish secondary school on Monday morning after a “malicious” email.
Officers were dispatched to the Inverness Royal Academy, in the south of the city, at around 9:10am after concerns about the communication.
In a statement sent to students’ parents and carers, school rector Nigel Engstrand said that “no credible or immediate threat” had been identified after the “alarming” incident.
Police said that inquiries are ongoing with efforts being made to trace those responsible. In a statement, they suggested the malicious email had been a hoax.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Officers from Police Scotland were called to an incident, believed to be a malicious email, made to a school in Inverness around 9.10am on Monday February 26.
"Inquiries were carried out in conjunction with the local authority and are continuing to trace those responsible.
"Police Scotland takes hoax calls extremely seriously. They divert police resources and cause disruption and alarm to the public.
"Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
In a letter sent to students’ parents and guardians, Engstrand wrote: “As you may be aware, officers from Police Scotland were called to the school this morning, following on from a malicious email which was sent to us early this morning.
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“Police enquiries were carried out in conjunction with myself and senior officers from the local authority. Police enquiries are continuing to trace those responsible.
“Police advice this morning was that there was no credible or immediate threat to the school and our protocols were followed accordingly.
“I am very aware of how alarming news like this can be as a parent or carer. I can reassure you that every decision taken in circumstances like this has your child’s safety as its primary focus.
“There is no continuing threat to our school and Police Scotland will be continuing their investigation into the original communication we received this morning.”
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