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SA schools evacuated over bomb threats

Staff and students have been evacuated from South Australian schools today, including Adelaide High School, after receiving threats.

Feb 04, 2016, updated Feb 04, 2016
New school boundary zones have been applied to Glenunga.

New school boundary zones have been applied to Glenunga.

More than 1000 staff and students at Adelaide High School were evacuated this morning after a bomb threat was received by phone call around 11:30am.

Parents of children at the affected schools including Adelaide High, and believed to include two schools in the eastern suburbs, are being notified.

However, Adelaide High School’s principal, Anita Zocchi, told InDaily that staff and students returned to the school after police said the threat had been a hoax.

“We received a phone call that was a bomb threat, so we went into our normal evacuation procedures,” Zocchi said.

“Once we had the all clear from police, staff and students returned to class.”

Zoochi said the school was “well-practised” in evacuation drills, and that “everybody’s fine”.

Two other schools evacuated are believed to be in the eastern suburbs.

Police are investigating whether there is any link between today’s threats and a co-ordinated series of phone threats to schools in other states.

A statement from SA Police says the source of the threats and “whether there are any links to coordinated phone threats interstate are being fully investigated”.

“Police warn that those responsible for making the threat could face versy serious charges, including creating a false belief, which can result in a prison sentence,” it says.

The Department of Education and Child Development released a statement a short time ago saying the schools had been evacuated.

“A number of schools have today received threats which have resulted in students being evacuated in accordance with the department’s emergency management procedures,” the statement says.

“The safety of students and staff is our number one priority and the department is working closely with SAPOL to ensure that the appropriate response is being made at a site by site level.

“Schools that have been affected will be contacting parents directly to notify them of the incident.

“In response to recent threats made to schools interstate, the department this week reissued guidance to Education Directors on the appropriate response should similar threats be made in South Australia.”

Meanwhile, a teenager in the ACT has been arrested following a threatening call made to a Canberra high school.

Police said the teen phoned Calwell High School about 1pm yesterday, sparking an evacuation as the call was investigated.

An ACT police spokeswoman said the call was not linked to hoax threats coming from overseas that have disrupted schools across Australia in the past week.

“There is nothing funny about a threatening phone call that causes unnecessary distress, fear and use of valuable police resources,” Detective Acting Station Sergeant Marcus Boorman said today.

The teen is expected to be charged at the ACT Children’s Court on Tuesday.

– with AAP

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