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Terrified pupils hid under tables as three Liverpool schools were plunged into lockdown following suspected hoax email threats.
14:49, Mon, Jan 26, 2026 Updated: 14:50, Mon, Jan 26, 2026
The Belvedere Academy in Toxteth, Liverpool. (Image: Andrew Teebay, Liverpool Echo)
A school in Toxteth has been the latest in the Liverpool area to be plunged into a lockdown. This morning, January 26, police swooped in the Belvedere Academy following a suspected hoax threat sent by email.
Parents and carers were told officers were sweeping the site as a precaution while children and staff were kept inside. In a later update, executive principal Julie Taylor confirmed the school had been given the all-clear, adding the email was similar to hoax threats that forced two other Liverpool schools into lockdown last week. Merseyside police is investigating the incident. In a message seen by the Liverpool Echo, The Belvedere Academy said: "We have received a suspicious email similar to other local schools last week and have taken the precaution to go into lockdown. Police are now onsite and all children and staff are secure. We will update you in due course."
The malicious communication was sent to Belvedere Academy via email (Image: Andrew Teebay, Liverpool Echo)
Mrs Taylor later provided an update via another message which read: "For your information, the academy received a suspicious email this morning similar to those received by schools in Liverpool last week. We followed our lockdown protocol whilst the police attended and swept the site with the senior team.
"Following the police's all clear, we are now out of lockdown and are back to usual operations. Well done to staff and students for responding so sensibly to this event as we would expect."
Speaking to our sister title, a distressed parent said she rushed to the school after hearing "kids and teachers were hiding under tables" while police "swept the building."
"It’s terrifying for all," she added. "I did go there in a panic and there was only one police car there at the front of the building, someone was manning the gates that were locked."
Pupils were sent home from Holly Lodge Girls College following a scare last week (Image: Liverpool Echo)
Superintendent Anthony Fairhurst said: "We can confirm that enquiries are ongoing after a report of malicious communications at Belvedere Academy in Liverpool at around 8.35am this morning (Monday 26 January).
"At this stage it is believed to be a hoax, and we will be looking to identify those involved and take appropriate action.
"Our officers are currently at the school and are providing advice and reassurance to parents, carers, students and residents as enquiries continue."
Anyone with information, can call 101 or DM @MerpolCC on social media, quoting log number 159 of 26 January. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Two other Liverpool schools were also hit by hoax threats last week. Holly Lodge Girls' College in West Derby was placed into lockdown on January 19 before police confirmed the threat was a hoax and pupils were allowed to go home.
Parents and guardians were sent texts from school bosses just before 3pm confirming the school was in lockdown.
It was later confirmed by Merseyside Police the action was taken after a hoax threat and pupils were allowed to go home.
West Derby School also had a 'serious emergency situation' last week (Image: Liverpool Echo)
On Tuesday evening, West Derby School, just a short distance from Holly Lodge, also warned parents and carers it would be closed on Wednesday because of a "serious emergency situation".
Police said that incident is also believed to be a hoax, with a number of schools targeted by similar malicious emails.
Liverpool Council and Merseyside Police issused a joint statement on Wednesday, January 21.
The statement said: "We would like to reassure parents and carers that schools in Liverpool have well established and practiced procedures to swep children and school staff safe when schools are made aware of potential incidents or threats
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"Merseyside Police enquiries regarding the cause of these threats are ongoing, but at this stage we believe they are hoax messages and there have been no credible threats in Liverpool. Officers are continuing to provide reassurance and advice to those schools."
The statement added: "The safety of students and staff is our highest priority. We'd like to thank parents and carers for their patience and understanding and ask that they continue to follow advice and guidance from their child’s individual schools."
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