School Wars posts name Northampton and north London schools as police, parents and headteachers warn
Social media posts urging pupils to take part in organised "school wars" fights have rattled parents and schools after versions of the messages named Northamptonshire and north London schools and encouraged teenagers to "be violent".
School Wars named in Northampton 'Northampton War' poster
A poster promoting a "Northampton War" circulated on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram this week, listing multiple schools in Northamptonshire and urging teenagers to gather and "be violent"; it remains unclear who created or posted it. Northamptonshire Police said officers were aware and warned that "anyone seen fighting or wielding weapons of any kind will be arrested. " The force said officers had been visiting schools to speak to students and carrying out "proactive patrols around schools and areas where disorder could occur. "
London posts urged pupils aged 11 to 16 to join fights
In London, posts on TikTok and Snapchat have targeted pupils aged 11 to 16, with one item advertising a "north London war" that pitted pupils from year seven to 11 into a four-versus-four red side/blue side split. Another promoted a "Hackney war" that used images of weapons and urged Year 9 pupils from eight schools to meet up with everyday items that were implied could be used as weapons. Several posts suggested a points system based on harm done to opponents and encouraged participants to "be violent, " while some messages asked onlookers to film attacks and send footage to the organiser.
Police, headteachers and parents step up warnings
Commander Neerav Patel of the Metropolitan Police said the force was aware of the posts and in contact with several boroughs. 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. " In a message to pupils, he warned: "An arrest, charge and conviction for violence and carrying weapons could mean imprisonment, with a significant long-term impact on future opportunities. " A previous attempt to organise a school fight in Hackney prompted police to issue a dispersal order.
Parents, pupils and schools respond — and platforms remove content
Parents in Northamptonshire voiced fear after the poster circulated. Rebecca Birdsall, a mother of four, said the post left her "terrified" and recalled: "Yesterday [Wednesday], my son's phone tracking went off and I went into massive panic mode because he was late home and I didn't know where he was. I need to know where he is all the time. " Birdsall said the response from her children's school was "amazing" after she informed them. Michael Stratton, a Reform UK councillor and cabinet member for children, families and education at West Northamptonshire Council, called the post "incredibly irresponsible and wholly unacceptable" and urged parents and carers to be aware of what their children encounter online and to talk openly with them about making safe choices and avoiding harmful peer pressure.
Several London schools have sent letters to parents. Fortismere school in Muswell Hill warned families about social media activity that "encourages young people to take part in so called 'tagging' or 'schools wars'–style games" and thanked parents who had raised concerns while checking phones. Graveney school in Tooting told parents: "We will ensure that our usual security measures are deployed effectively, including using our ability to search students if necessary. " Some pupils were sceptical about the posts' veracity; one 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. "
Snapchat's internal safety team has taken down posts that incited violence, and TikTok has been removing content that violates community guidelines forbidding threats, the glorifying of violence, or promotion of crimes that could harm people or property. The health secretary, Wes Streeting, said he had flagged the issue to colleagues and wrote under 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. "
What officials say will happen next
Police in Northamptonshire said officers will continue to visit schools and carry out proactive patrols around schools and areas where disorder could occur, while the Metropolitan Police said it will keep monitoring online spaces and press platforms to disable accounts used to plan or encourage violence.
