THREE Ellesmere Port Schools were closed last Friday after head teachers and the Pioneer received a series of hoax security warnings.

Parents of pupils at Sutton High and from Atherton Nursery and Infants and Pooltown Community Juniors were contacted after the schools were evacuated and hundreds of pupils were sent home for the day.

The chilling warnings came just three days after the terrorist atrocities in New York and Washington.

Cheshire police spokesman Jaqui Hanson said: "Only three schools were affected and the parents were contacted. No other schools were involved. As a precautionary measure officers with sniffer dogs searched the buildings assisted by staff, and nothing untoward was found.

"Police enquiries will now continue regarding the source of the information."

The Pioneer contacted the police as soon as we received the threat - precise details of which we are not revealing so as not to hamper the police investigation.

Later in the day we took a number of telephone calls from parents desperate for news about what was happening after they heard a tannoy announcement in the market hall warning that all Ellesmere Port schools had been evacuated.

One mother said: "I was shopping when the tannoy message was broadcast. My daughter has only just started at Whitby High and I felt sick. She is a very sensitive child who was deeply upset over the American atrocities.

"I ran all the way to the school only to find it wasn't closed and hadn't been evacuated.

"I can¹t understand why they make announcements like that without being sure of the facts. All it managed to do was terrify those parents who heard it."

Borough council spokesman Walter Sharp says the market manager made the announcement shortly before midday informing parents that children were being sent home from Sutton High School.

But Mr Sharp said: "He then received further information that other schools were being closed and in keeping with announcements made at other town centre stores, he put out a second call telling people in the market it was possible all schools had been closed.

"On realising this information was not accurate, the market hall manager corrected this second announcement. We are very sorry for any concern the incorrect announcement might have caused."

Anyone with any information about the threats to schools should call Ellesmere Port police on 01244 350222.