Up to 300 schools across Northern Ireland received threatening emails on Monday, October 19, the Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed, Qazinform News Agency reports.

Police are treating these emails as a hoax, saying the risk to the public is currently considered low.

According to a statement, the emails contained a generalised threat. Similar messages are believed to have been received by some schools elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

Police checks have so far found no evidence of any suspicious activity. Based on the information gathered to date, investigators believe the email originated outside the UK and are treating it as a hoax.

Northern Ireland Education Minister Paul Givan condemned threatening emails sent to schools across the region, describing the incident as a deliberate attempt to disrupt the education system.

"I want to reassure schools that following checks, the PSNI has not found anything untoward at this time. Schools should continue to operate as normal," a statement reads.

The minister acknowledged that the incident had caused considerable alarm and distress among pupils, parents and school staff. He also noted that schools had been required to make decisions in the best interests of their pupils and employees, resulting in a number of closures.

“My Department will continue to work with the PSNI and the Education Authority and we will continue to engage with the PSNI as their enquiries continue," he noted.

Earlier,  it was reported that at least 35 people, including 34 students and a teacher, were killed and more than 45 others were injured when the roof of a private school collapsed in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, last week.

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