More than 500 children are evacuated from £17,000-a-year private prep school after bomb scare
- Talbot Heath Preparatory School called police shortly after receiving a threat
Published: 16:31, 30 November 2023 | Updated: 16:31, 30 November 2023
More than 500 children at an exclusive private school were evacuated today following a bomb scare.
Talbot Heath Preparatory School, in Bournemouth, Dorset, which costs up to GBP17,301 a term, called the police at 9.36am after receiving a ‘security threat’.
Parents were seen arriving to take their children home throughout the morning but then the school decided to evacuate as a precaution.
One woman, who asked not to be named, said: ‘All I know from the headteacher is that it is a bomb scare.’
Dorset Police closed off the road surrounding the school and carried out a search with sniffer dogs.
Emergency services at the scene as more than 500 pupils were evacuated due to the bomb scare
Dorset Police closed off the road surrounding the school and carried out a search with sniffer dogs.
Pictured, an ambulance which was also on standby
Fire and ambulance crews were also there on standby.
Luckily, nothing suspicious was found but an investigation is ongoing.
Paul Davis who was up a ladder while working on a house opposite the prep school said: ‘Police came rushing around at about 10am and then all of a sudden the road was closed off.
‘There have been parents picking up their children from the school all morning since.’
A Dorset Police spokesman said: ‘Dorset Police received a report at 9.36am from a school regarding a security threat made to the school.
One woman, who asked not to be named, said: ‘All I know from the headteacher is that it is a bomb scare’
The road surrounding the school was closed off as a precaution.
Parents were seen arriving to take their children home throughout the morning before the school was evacuated
‘School staff made the decision to evacuate pupils and officers attended to carry out a search of the premises as a precaution.
‘A thorough search has been completed, nothing of concern has been located and emergency services will be resuming from the scene.
‘We would like to thank members of the public for their patience and understanding during this incident.
‘An investigation into this matter is ongoing, with support from the school.’
Police cordoned off Oaks Park High School after receiving a hoax bomb threat email last Friday
It comes after a school in London was forced to evacuate pupils two times in four days after receiving an ‘identical’ email about a hoax bomb threat.
The Oaks Park High School in Carshalton, south London, informed parents at 8.19am that police had asked teachers to urgently evacuate pupils onto the playing fields.
The school had the same incident on Friday which was the day after pupils had taken part in a practice drill on what to do in case of a threats like these.
In text messages sent to parents, seen by MailOnline, the school said: ‘The police have asked us to evacuate the school this morning after receiving an identical threat as on Friday at the same time.’
One mother who has a 13-year-old boy at the school described the latest ordeal as ‘terrifying’.
She told MailOnline: ‘Everything goes through your head… You don’t know if it’s real or not. Anything that could happen.
Imagine if they said to the pupils that you can go in and something happens.
‘I would rather collect my kid from school but you just have to trust the police have done their job.’
Oaks Park High School is a mixed comprehensive school for students aged 11 to 19.
References
- ^ Matt Drake (www.dailymail.co.uk)