School Lockdown: Urgent Incident Prompts Parents to be Told to Stay Away
A secondary school in Kent was forced to close suddenly on Tuesday morning after reports of an email threat, with parents being advised to keep their children away.
According to Metro, Astor Secondary School in Dover warned parents of the urgent incident, stating that they should not send children to school due to alleged threatening messages being sent. The school, located on Astor Avenue, took the precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students and staff.
In a statement, the school said it needed "to be thoroughly checked" and advised that the site needed to be cleared of staff and students immediately, with further updates to follow. The school also stated that students who had already arrived would be sent home, and that parents should check with their child directly to ensure they were aware of where they needed to go.
The police received a report of the school receiving "an email making threats" at approximately 7:37 am, with officers attending the scene to advise staff and provide reassurance. A police spokesperson told Metro: "Kent Police received a report at 7:37 am on Tuesday 6 May 2025 that a school in Astor Avenue, Dover, had received an email making threats. Officers attended to advise staff and provide reassurance. The email is being treated as a non-credible threat and enquiries into the correspondence are ongoing."
As reported by Metro, an evacuation of the school began shortly before 8 am to allow for a thorough search to be carried out as a precaution. Kent County Council confirmed that the school had reopened after the incident, with a spokesperson stating: "Kent Police were notified, and their officers attended the school to advise staff and provide reassurance. The email is being treated as a non-credible threat and enquiries into the correspondence by Kent Police are ongoing. The school is open and parents have been contacted."
This incident highlights the ongoing concerns surrounding school safety and the potential for threats to be made against educational institutions. In a similar incident, a school in Gateshead was forced into lockdown in March after threatening emails were received. Additionally, a schoolboy was detained in Luton in May after brandishing a large kitchen knife on school grounds, injuring two people.
As reported by Metro, the incident at Astor Secondary School has been thoroughly investigated, with the school and police working together to ensure the safety of students and staff. The school has confirmed that it is open and operating as normal, with parents being kept informed of any developments.
The source material from Metro provides a detailed account of the incident, including statements from the school and police. The article highlights the importance of vigilance and cooperation between schools, police, and parents in ensuring the safety and well-being of students.
For more information on this story and others, visit Metro.
Source: Metro
