Thousands of children evacuated from schools in Dudley following bomb hoax

Police were sent to four schools after receiving calls claiming bombs had been placed on the premises

Police are understood to have been sent to Holly Lodge school, Bristnall Hall (pictured) school and Oldbury Academy after receiving calls claiming bombs had been placed on the premises (Google Street View)

Thousands of children have been evacuated from four schools in Dudley following hoax bomb threats.

Police are understood to have attended Bristnall Hall Academy, Oldbury Academy and Holly Lodge in Oldbury in Sandwell, and Leasowes School in Halesowen after receiving calls claiming bombs had been placed on the premises.

The bomb threats were called in between around 9am and 9.30am, police said.

Leasowes School later tweeted that they had been reassured by police that the building was safe and that staff and pupils could return.

Leasowes School took to Twitter to say that police had told them the building has now been declared safe

Neil Shaw, head teacher at Leasowes High School, later said "We received a call in school at just before 9am today, which thankfully turned out to be a bomb hoax.

"We acted quickly to inform police immediately and evacuated the school within a few minutes, and lessons have now returned to normal, but some children have gone home with parents.

"The safety and welfare of our children is obviously our top priority and I’m grateful to staff and emergency services for the way they dealt with this difficult situation."

Local councillor Ian Cooper later told ITV News: "Leasowes High school in Halesowen was evacuated this morning after receiving a call which turned out to be a bomb hoax.

"We are working with West Midlands Police on this incident but there is no suggestion of any other threat to other schools in Dudley borough. We can reassure parents that the situation was dealt with quickly and safely.

Speaking of the incident earlier, a 14-year-old pupil at Bristnall Hall Academy told the Mirror: "Just been sent home as my school & others in my local area been closed due to a bomb threat. Police everywhere. Madness. Complete madness.

"We weren't told anything, our teachers said it would all be explained tommorow. Several schools closed around us," she added.