The nature of the threats has not yet been disclosed but are said by police to not be “credible”, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter

St Mary's School, E17 (credit Google) — St Mary’s School, E17 (credit Google)

A Walthamstow nursery has been relocated after receiving threatening emails.

The nursery at St Mary’s School, in Brooke Road, was targeted earlier today (Monday 14th).

However, the Metropolitan Police says it does not believe the threats were credible “at this stage”.

The Church of England school is currently closed for the Easter holidays and no pupils were in the building.

Several schools in Yorkshire are also believed to have been sent similar threats, with South Yorkshire Police and the Met investigating the incidents together.

A Met spokesperson said: “At around 6.30am on Monday, 14th April, police received reports of email threats being made towards a school in Brooke Road, Walthamstow.

“The nursery has chosen to relocate as a precautionary measure, although no pupils were attending the school today due to the Easter holidays.

“An investigation is ongoing, however at this stage the threats are not being treated as credible.

“We are working alongside South Yorkshire Police, as at this stage this is believed to be linked to threats made to schools in the Sheffield area.”

The nature of the threats has not been revealed. Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy said there was no reason to think it was religiously motivated.

She said on X and Facebook that St Mary’s was the only school in London to have been affected.

Creasy continued: “The school has made arrangements to support the children attending the nursery off site, so if your child is one of those, please do contact them for further details.

“The police are working with the school and with their colleagues in South Yorkshire to apprehend the perpetrator.

“I know this is a shocking incident that anyone would threaten a primary school, so I am monitoring the situation closely.”

There are more than 100 places at the nursery, according to the most recent Ofsted inspection. The school itself has a capacity of 630.

A spokesperson for Waltham Forest Council said it was “aware of the situation” and was “supporting” members of staff.

They said: “We are aware of the situation at St Mary’s School that has resulted in the closure of the nursery due to safety concerns this morning.

“We are supporting the nursery and its staff, and we are also in touch with the Metropolitan Police.”

The school has been contacted for comment but is closed until 22nd April.

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