Gateshead schools under lockdown after threatening email
Written by Meena Green on 6th March 2025
Schools across Gateshead went into lockdown following a threatening email this morning.
Northumbria Police confirmed the closure of several Gateshead schools following an emailed threat CREDIT: smlp.co.uk (Flickr)
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “Just before 9am today (Thursday, March 6), we received a report of malicious communications directed towards a number of primary and secondary schools across Gateshead.”
The emails are understood to have been sent overnight.
Cardinal Hume Catholic School was one of the schools affected, but Spark understands Northumbria Police are waiting to complete a full investigation before confirming which other schools were affected.
The schools that received the threatening emails have voluntarily gone into lockdown, and emailed parents, urging them not go to the school to pick up their children until notified otherwise. Some of the schools have since lifted the lockdown.
An email from Whickham School to parents said: “We are aware that schools in the local area have been placed on lockdown. That is not the case with Whickham School. We are liaising with the police regarding this matter but school continues as normal.”
Northumbria Police said: “Officers are currently in attendance to carry out enquiries and offer reassurance to the public.”
Gateshead Council released a statement on Facebook stating: “To reassure you, there are no known concerns as a result of these malicious communications, and no schools need to be in lockdown. We are working with police and our schools and we want to reassure parents and carers that your children are safe to remain in school today as normal.”
This isn’t the first time schools have been under lockdown in the UK this month. On Wednesday, March 5, schools in Birmingham went into lockdown following “threat of firearms”. Read the full story here.
In July 2017, NASUWT, The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, called for all schools to have a concrete protocol ready in case of a credible threat on or near the premises. While threats to schools are rare in the UK, more school lockdown procedures are being implemented in educational facilities across the UK to ensure children’s safety.
