'A drain on resources': Police anger over school hoax bomb scares

This was the message from police chiefs as they condemned hoax callers after yet more bomb scares at schools in the Black Country.

Officers patrolling school grounds with search dogs, hurried scared children from classrooms and left concerned parents frantic for news. This has been the scene for four days, including three in a row this week, as bomb threats forced headteachers to urgently evacuate their premises.

Thousands of pupils had lessons cancelled with many told to go home by worried teachers and lecturers who say safety is the number one priority.

But West Midlands Police reiterated that there was 'no credible threat to schools receiving bomb hoax calls'. Little is yet known on who is behind the threats which have spread confusion and caused disruption to pupils in the run up to busy exam periods.

Police are issuing only limited information about the nature of the calls and their duration.

However, anyone convicted could face years behind bars if prosecuted under terror legislation.

A 14-year-old was arrested by officers yesterday morning in connection with one hoax call made to Great Barr School on Wednesday which forced pupils out of lessons. Police made the arrest after the call was traced to a nearby phone box alongside CCTV inquiries. Inspector Noeleen Murrin, from Birmingham Police, said: "These kinds of offences are not only a drain on police, council and school resources but they also waste the time of pupils who should be receiving their education."

Calls started to be made to schools in Sandwell, Birmingham and Dudley yesterday in the latest scares just after 8am.

Ten in Sandwell were affected alongside Sandwell College, which has two campus' in West Bromwich, which also closed for the day. Schools in Cradley and Halesowen and three in Birmingham were also disrupted – Handsworth Grammar School, in Handsworth, St Paul's Girls School, in Edgbaston and Harborne Academy, in Harborne.

Bristnall Hall Academy, Oldbury Academy, and Perryfields High School, also in Oldbury, told pupils to return to lessons later in the day. Lessons also re-started at George Salter Academy, in West Bromwich, Windsor High School, in Halesowen, and Colley Lane Primary School, in Cradley. Wodensborough Ormiston Academy, in Wednesbury, also evacuated yesterday afternoon after a hoax call.

Pupils were told to go home at others including Ormiston Forge Academy, in Cradley Heath, and Ace Academy, in Tipton, and Shireland Collegiate Academy, in Smethwick – but all were expected to reopen today. In total around 20 schools have been affected since the first closures last week. These also included Four Dwellings Primary School, in Quinton, Holly Lodge, in Oldbury, and Earls High School, Leasowes High School in Halesowen.

Robin Grover, headteacher at ACE Academy said: "The children, especially the older ones getting ready for their exams, were disappointed that their education has been disrupted. We appreciate the support of the local community, who took us in."

Pupils from Sandwell Academy were sent to The Hawthorns, opposite in Halfords Lane, after the school was evacuated.

Pupils posted images on social media from the Smethwick End of the stadium and an Albion spokesman said: "We were only too happy to help our neighbours."

Senior Deputy Head Michelle Povey said: "The police and dog handlers swept the building. After the all clear we resumed lessons. If parents want to take children out of school then they have a right to do that."

There had been claims from a Twitter account, calling itself Evacuators 2K16, that it was behind the hoaxes. But that account has now been suspended.