THOUSANDS of students were evacuated from schools and a kindergarten in Victoria and NSW after a co-ordinated bomb hoax involving chilling threats to staff and students yesterday.

A man warned a Melbourne school receptionist that she “didn’t have much time” in a phone call while another received a computerised message of a bomb in a backpack.

Schools were sent into lockdown before a police sweep, with horrified parents rushing to collect their children after being alerted by texts, phone calls and through school apps.

In NSW schools an automated call warned of a “bloodbath in 40 minutes”, with up to seven schools evacuated.

State and Federal police are now probing whether the threatening calls are linked to a string of similar calls that vacated 20 schools throughout France and the UK this week, and a collection of schools on the Pacific island of Guam, Tokyo and Hawaii.

Some Victorian schools reopened for classes after being given the all-clear from police, but Cowes Primary School sent children home until Monday as a precaution.

Victoria Police said the threats were a hoax.

“Victoria Police can confirm it is treating the threatening phone calls received by a number of Victorian schools today as a hoax,” a police statement said.

media_camera Panicked mums collect their children from Aitken Creek Primary school. Picture: Kylie Else

“We are satisfied that there are no imminent threats to schools and that the threats are not terrorism related.”

Mum Sarah said she was shocked to see the entire Cowes Primary School student body, including daughter Mia, 6, walking down the street as she drove into town for lunch.

Minutes later, she was phoned and emailed to say there had been a bomb threat and to collect her child from the cultural centre.

“It was scary but everyone was very calm,” she said.

“My daughter didn’t realise what was going on.”

Assistant principal Rod McKenzie said a receptionist had taken the call before 12pm, receiving a “computerised” message saying that a bomb was in a backpack.

“I understand it was a prerecorded message, a robot or computerised message,” he said.

“When our receptionist tried to ask questions there was no response.

“It said there was a bomb in a backpack but no more specifics.”

media_camera Police on the scene at a school after the hoax threat.

media_camera Berwick Chase Primary School is evacuated. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Victoria police spokeswoman Leonie Johnson confirmed investigators were working on identifying who was behind the calls.

“Victoria Police is investigating the origin of the calls,” Ms Johnson said.

“There is nothing to indicate this is linked to terrorism.

“As the investigation has commenced, we won’t be providing further comment at this stage.”

Seven Victorian schools — Berwick Chase, Berwick Lodge, Aitken Creek, Wonthaggi, Sale and Cowes Primary schools and Reservoir High — were confirmed as affected.

UK media reports said a Russian Twitter group called “Evacuators 2K16” had claimed responsibility for the earlier hoax calls in France and England, but they have since been removed from the site.

A 14-year-old boy was arrested in the UK for making a suspected copycat call but was not believed to be linked to the social media group.

Education Department spokesman Stuart Teather said a number of schools reported threatening phone calls to police.

“The safety and wellbeing of our students is always our number one priority, and the Department is taking these incidents very seriously,” he said.

Education Minister James Merlino said schools were being supported by the department and he was aware of similar phone calls overseas and interstate.

Anyone with further information regarding the hoax is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report to www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

elissa.doherty@news.com.au