LONDON (Bywire News) - A number of schools in Leeds have initiated lockdown protocols following a significant threat of violence. The affected schools have chosen to keep the children indoors as a safety measure.
Parents have been alerted via emails and have been advised to stay alert when picking up their kids. The instructions also mentioned that all doors and windows within the school will be kept shut throughout the day.
As per reports from LeedsLive, it's currently believed that six schools are impacted and have decided to retain students indoors for the entire day.
A representative from West Yorkshire Police confirmed that they are investigating the situation. The police have also been reassuring the schools and dispensing safety advice to manage the situation. Leeds City Council has been asked to provide comments on the situation.
It's believed that several schools, including Sharp Lane Primary School, Windmill Primary School, and Richmond Hill Academy, have been affected by this threat.
This recent email threat follows a comparable malicious threat two days ago which affected primary schools in Manchester, causing them to initiate lockdowns.
Authorities such as Greater Manchester Police and Cheshire Constabulary are involved in the investigations. They are focused on providing assurance to schools and the public regarding this matter.
Chief Inspector Chris Boyd of GMP’s City of Manchester Division expressed that they take such threats very seriously. He further announced that their officers will increase their visibility around schools in order to provide reassurance to the public.
(By Michael O'Sullivan)