NEWPORT, RI-Schools across Newport have an increased police presence Monday after an anonymous threat was made to the principal of Rogers High School.
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A number of schools in Sydney and Brisbane were evacuated early today after receiving threats, authorities said, the latest in a series of incidents that Australian police blamed on hoax calls.
BOMB threats which were made against five Scottish schools yesterday may be linked to a co-ordinated global prank.
Rodney McKenzie, assistant principal at the school, told Fairfax Media a receptionist received a “computerised call”. Police take hoax calls extremely seriously.
“Also because of the global nature of this threat, that adds another layer of complexity to the investigation so it may be some time before this investigation properly identifies, and we’re able to arrest, these people”, he said.
Later on, after sweeping the schools, police declared the threats a hoax.
The newspaper reported the schools in Canberra impacted were: Lanyon High School, Forest Primary and Kingsford Smith School.
“There is clearly a pattern of hoax calls created to cause disruption and attract media attention”, the New South Wales police said in a statement. “A police investigation is ongoing to find the person responsible for these calls”, he said.
It follows a spate of similar incidents at schools in the Sydney region during the past week.
A spokeswoman for the east division said: “Two schools in Edinburgh have been evacuated following threats being made to three schools via telephone”.
In one day alone in New Jersey last week, 26 schools were threatened by robocalls that were ultimately traced to California.
Threatening phone calls that sparked the evacuation of 10 Queensland schools don’t appear to be credible but will be fully investigated, police say.
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The schools affected included: Hunters Hill High, Sydney Girls High School, Randwick Girls High, Mosman High, Riverside Girls High, James Ruse Agricultural High, Cheltenham Girls High School, South Sydney High School and Caringbah High School.
