Police in Northern Ireland are treating a threatening email sent to schools as a hoax after checks found nothing untoward so far, but the investigation is continuing. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said up to 300 schools had reported receiving the same message, which contained a generalised threat.

In its October 19 update, PSNI said similar emails may also have reached some schools elsewhere in the UK. The force said the email originated outside the UK and that, based on enquiries and information available at the time, it was treating the message as a hoax. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson described the current risk to the public as low.

That assessment does not mean every school has the same reopening plan. Renfrewshire Council in Scotland said its schools would reopen as planned on Tuesday, October 20, after Police Scotland confirmed the email was a hoax. That is a local decision recorded by the council; it does not establish that all schools across the UK are open.

For families, the practical point is to follow updates from their own school, council and police service. PSNI said its enquiries were ongoing and urged people to report suspicious activity through the usual police channels. Its statement did not guarantee that every affected school would open or remain open.