Police ‘confident’ of catching Park House School ‘suspicious packages’ hoaxer

Police are reportedly confident of finding the culprit behind a ‘suspicious packages’ hoax which forced a school closure.

Pupils and parents were turned away from Park House School in Andover Road, Newbury, this morning, Tuesday.

This afternoon, headteacher James King posted the following: “I am writing to update you following the incident at school this morning.

“Thank you for your support and for the calm, measured way in which our community responded, it was greatly appreciated.

“In the early hours of Tuesday morning, we received an email from an unknown sender, warning of suspicious packages being left on the school site.

“In response, we immediately enacted our emergency procedures, prioritising the safety and wellbeing of all students and staff.

“Students who had already arrived were promptly and safely sent home, and staff were directed to leave the site.

“For those yet to arrive, we asked families to keep their children at home.

“We ensured that all students were accounted for, and we worked closely with the police, who attended promptly and supported our response on site.

“The police are now conducting a criminal investigation into the hoax and are confident in their ability to identify those responsible.

“They took time to commend the school for the swift and measured steps taken prior to their arrival to ensure everyone’s safety.

“School will reopen as normal on Wednesday.

“Morning prep will be available from 7.30am, and we look forward to welcoming all students back to school.

“The Year 10 Art Gallery visit, which was due to take place today, will be rescheduled, we will be in touch with families affected in due course.

“I will continue to keep you updated as we receive any further information.

“Once again, thank you for your continued support.

“The way our school community came together this morning was a powerful reminder of its strength, and we are deeply grateful.”