UPDATE
Three primary schools in Melbourne’s north were placed in lockdown this afternoon after receiving a computer generated call threatening bombs and bloodshed.
Seventeen schools across the state received the hoax bomb threats, including The Lakes South Morang P-9, Greenvale Primary School and Aitken Creek Primary School in Craigieburn.
It was the second time Aitken Creek Primary School was evacuated in four days.
Staff and students were moved to Hume Global Learning Centre after receiving a similar automated call on Friday morning.
Today’s hoax calls were also made to schools in Sydney, Queensland and Canberra.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said today’s incident was “designed to cause disruption and attract media attention.”
“The schools have enacted their emergency management plans as a precaution,” she said.
Senior Sergeant Simon Karp, who was at Aitken Creek Primary School this afternoon, said police do not believe the threat was credible.
More than 50 parents lined up outside the Grevillea Street school to collect their children after learning of the bomb threat on social media.
After seeing a post on Facebook Ayse Gouler arrived at the school around 2pm to collect her three children.
The Craigieburn resident said she felt worried and wanted more information from the school.
Jacob O’Connor was also waiting in line at the Craigieburn school to collect his seven-year-old daughter.
“I’m annoyed and stressed,” he said. “I’ve been waking up during the night concerned about it since last Friday. Children are the last ones who should be targeted.”
