More schools hit by bomb hoax calls

By LACHLAN MOORHEAD

THERE are unconfirmed reports that Chalcot Lodge Primary in Endeavour Hills is one of the latest schools contacted in the ongoing bomb hoax saga.
Chalcot Lodge is among several other Victorian schools understood to have received threatening phone calls on Friday 5 February.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed more schools had received the calls but would not specify which schools had been contacted.
On Wednesday it was reported how a bomb threat call made to Berwick Lodge Primary a week ago was linked to the nearby select-entry state school Nossal High School.
Berwick Lodge Principal Henry Grossek said he’d been informed the threatening phone call made to Berwick Lodge on Friday 29 January “belonged to Nossal High School”.
Nossal High School principal Roger Page said that media reports describe “one line of inquiry” is that the school’s phone system has been hacked.
“We have looked into it as far as we can, and we will of course fully co-operate with the police,” he said.
A number of Victorian schools, including another Casey school Berwick Chase Primary, were evacuated on Friday, while more schools across the state were evacuated on Tuesday 2 February, including primary schools in Pakenham and Kooweerup.
Threatening calls have also been reported at schools in New South Wales and Queensland in recent days, while it’s understood a number of other states and countries, including the UK and France, received similar threatening phone calls in the same 24-hour period.
Anyone with further information regarding the hoax calls is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or submit a confidential crime report to www.crimestoppersvic.com.au