By LACHLAN MOORHEAD AND CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
THE bomb threat phone call made to Berwick Lodge Primary School has been linked to the nearby select-entry state school, Nossal High School, according to Berwick Lodge Principal Henry Grossek.
Mr 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 Victoria Police spokesman said police had not confirmed a link to Nossal High School.
Students and staff from Berwick Lodge Primary School evacuated the school after a man rang up just before 11.30am on Friday and told the receptionist “there’s a bomb at the school and you don’t have much time”, Mr Grossek said.
While several Victorian schools reportedly received an automated phone threat, Mr Grossek said his school received a live call.
Mr Grossek said the phone number used for the live threat call to Berwick Lodge had been linked to some of the automated calls on Friday.
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 reportedly been made to 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.
