Six secondary schools in Oss and Heesch in Brabant have been closed and pupils sent home after a bomb warning. The six are all part of the Het Hooghuis school group.

Police said later on social media they had spoken to the person responsible for the warnings and that they were false. Local broadcaster DTV said the warning had been made using a email belonging to a pupil at one of the schools. The teenager had also threatened to harm themselves, the broadcaster said.

The six schools, with a combined total of 4,500 pupils, were closed towards the end of the morning but by 1 pm police said the warning was a hoax. Nevertheless, the schools have decided to remain closed for the rest of the day.

In Belgium, 27 schools were closed because of a bomb warning but as yet it is unclear if there is any connection.