Pupils had to be evacuated from Blacon High School after a hoax telephone call was made this morning.

Cheshire Police confirmed they were called to the school on Melbourne Road shortly after 11.30am where they made a search of the premises.

Officers said they provided reassurance and eventually reassured the community it was a hoax. After the search the pupils, many of whom are sitting GCSE exams, were allowed back in to continue their school day.

Police have not yet linked the incident to a national story being reported by our sister newspaper The Mirror which claims at least 10 schools across the country have been plunged into chaos during GCSE exams amid a series of bomb threats.

Schools in Kent, Surrey, Peterborough, Rochdale and Bedfordshire have all received hoax bomb threats today, following anonymous phone calls.

Inspector Andy Ross from Cheshire Police said: “We would like to reassure the community that this is a hoax call and following a search the children were allowed back in to continue their school day.”

A spokeswoman at Blacon High School confirmed that no exams had been disrupted by this morning's incident.