School Wars trend prompts police patrols and parental warnings in Bristol and London

Posts urging pupils to take part in school wars have prompted increased police patrols, letters from headteachers and warnings from senior officials as authorities try to head off organised violence. The social media activity has put parents on alert and schools instructing checks of pupils' phones as officers monitor the situation.

School Wars prompt patrols and warnings in Bristol

Avon and Somerset Police said the increased police patrols were a "precaution" and that it would be carrying out reassurance patrols around school starting and leaving hours. The force said it was "monitoring the situation extremely closely" and that there was no evidence to suggest any incidents linked to the "national" social media trend had occurred in the city.

The posts circulating online have divided schools into "red" and "blue" categories, referencing a "Bristol War" aimed at pupils in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. Ch Insp Keith Smith said he understood the posts would "cause concern to communities" and that police would have "a heightened presence in several areas over the next few days which will include reassurance patrols at schools listed on the social media posts, and contingency plans will also be in place should we need them. "

A force spokesperson added officers had been in contact with schools across Bristol to offer reassurance and crime prevention advice to staff and students.

Met intervention: north London war posts, Hackney threats and disabled accounts

The Metropolitan Police urged pupils aged 11 to 16 not to get involved after posts encouraging school fights circulated. One post advertised a "north London war" between pupils from year seven to 11, pitting four named schools on a "red side" against four on a "blue side". Another promoted a "Hackney war" and used images of weapons suggested to be brought, including knives, compasses and fireworks.

Commander Neerav Patel said the force was aware of the posts and was in contact with several London boroughs to offer reassurance. He said: "We continue to closely monitor online spaces and have worked with platforms to request a dozen social media accounts to be disabled where threats or violence were planned or encouraged. " A previous attempt to organise a school fight in Hackney had prompted police to issue a dispersal order.

Headteachers send letters and bolster school security

Several London schools have written to parents about the posts. Fortismere school in Muswell Hill told parents it was "writing to alert you to recent social media activity circulating across various parts of London that encourages young people to take part in so called 'tagging' or 'schools wars'–style games" and thanked parents who had approached the school after checking their children's phones.

Graveney school in Tooting warned it would "ensure that our usual security measures are deployed effectively, including using our ability to search students if necessary. " Some school leaders recommended parents tell their children not to share content related to "organised violence" and to report any concerns.

Government figures and platform takedowns

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the "content is deeply concerning" and said she understood platform chiefs were taking "action to review and address it. " She added: "Encouraging violence by urging children to take knives to school is illegal. I expect platforms to abide by the letter of the law and where the content is illegal, they should take action to stop these abhorrent posts. "

Health secretary Wes Streeting said he had flagged the issue to colleagues and wrote underneath one of the posts: "I've raised this at highest levels in government. Hope parents are clear with their children that we'll come down on this sort of behaviour like a ton of bricks. " Platform teams have removed posts that incite violence and have been taking down content that violates community rules forbidding threats, the glorifying of violence, or promotion of crimes that could harm people or property.

Schools' practical advice and pupil scepticism

Letters to parents urged practical checks and conversations: one warned, "We are concerned that, through online communications, some young people may be sharing images of weapons and encouraging serious youth violence. " Parents were encouraged to "check your child's phone and more broadly, continue to manage and monitor their internet use, " and to consider checking bags where there was "a significant concern" about weapons being carried for "protection" or with intent to do harm.

At the same time, some pupils are sceptical about the veracity of the posts and believe them to be spoofs. A year 10 pupil said: "People are just trying to fearmonger parents … any teenager with common sense would not meet somewhere where the police have been told about and bring a weapon. "

Other developments noted alongside the alerts

Alongside the school warnings, other local developments referenced on the same pages included a primary school staff strike over a "culture of fear", rubbish investigators searching fly-tips for clues, and plans for hundreds of new homes to be built at an "iconic" spot.