Avon and Somerset Police evacuate Parkfield Primary School in Taunton after a bomb threat

Parents from Parkfield Primary School are being asked to collect their children from the school. 

A spokesman from the school said: "We've had a bomb threat at the school.

"We haven't been able to get into the school this morning but some parents have taken their children home. 

"The police are at the school now. 

"Everyone is stood out in the rain so we are asking families to come and collect their children." 

A police van outside of Parkfield Primary School in Taunton.

Teachers are waiting at the gates in order to get the children safely to their families. 

They said they were meant to be teaching but that the students' safety comes first. 

One mum said that she wasn't too sure what had happened or when the school would be open again. Her son added that they think it was a fake call but that police were inside the school. 

Katy Walsh, another mum from the school, said: "I was in town when someone called me to come and collect my child. 

"I was obviously really really scared." 

Most of the children had been collected by 11am. 

Steve John, acting headteacher, said on the school's website: "As you will probably be aware, this morning we had a telephone bomb threat.  

"This came in at 8:48am before school started but while we had a lot of children and parents on the playground.  

"The school evacuation protocol was put into place while we awaited further advice from the police.  

"Parents were given the option to take children home at that point.

"The police arrived at 10:15 having followed their protocols.  

"The advice was that it was a very low threat but added precaution was taken with police attending and we are, at the moment, awaiting a police sniffer dog to sweep the building.

"We have now managed to get into the office and a text has gone out asking parents/carers to collect children as we do not know how long this will take.  

"If you cannot collect, the children are perfectly safe and happy and we will look after them for the rest of the day."

Police say they have been called to two schools, the second in the North Somerset area.

"We have been made aware of threats to two schools in the Avon and Somerset area," a police spokesman said.

"The threats are being treated as hoax calls at this stage but we are thoroughly investigating both cases.

"Neighbourhood officers have visited both schools to provide reassurance."