Herts Police have made an arrest on suspicion of blackmail after a “hoax bomb threat” at a school in Borehamwood.

The force were contacted about a threat that had allegedly been received at Hertswood Academy shortly after 9pm on Friday (October 13).

A teenage boy from Hertfordshire was then arrested on suspicion of blackmail yesterday (October 16). He has been released on bail while enquiries continue.

Before confirming it was a hoax, officers attended the scene alongside an explosive detection dog and several “comprehensive” searches of the site took place over the weekend, but no devices were found.

An investigation by the Hertsmere Local Crime Unit was then launched.

Detective Inspector Beth Hanna said: “We understand this incident would have been extremely unsettling for those connected to the school and for the wider community as a whole. The incident has since been confirmed as a hoax.

“Officers were at the school yesterday to provide reassurance and patrols will continue in the area.

“Now an arrest has been made, it’s important that people refrain from providing commentary or speculation on social media, to allow the investigation to take its course.”