A HOAX bomb alert forced the closure of a south Belfast primary school today - affecting more than 400 children.
Finaghy PS remained shut throughout the day while police attended.
Parents and staff were contacted early this morning and told to stay home.
It is understood a bomb warning was earlier phoned through to Crimestoppers.
It was claimed that a device had been left nearby.
Located on Finaghy Road South, it educates about 420 children.
As a full-service extended school it is also used by the wider community offering daycare, sport, library and other services on its campus.
Yesterday, the school had shared photographs online of its smiling P1 pupils planting peas.
In a message to parents, principal Alastair Mackay apologised for the short notice closure.
PSNI superintendent Gillian Kearney said police, along with Ammunition Technical Officers, attended the scene.
"This incident has been declared a hoax. An investigation is ongoing and we are following lines of enquiry. The individual, or individuals responsible for this incident will have caused great upset and distress to the school and community," she said.
"Young schoolchildren and their parents have already been affected by disruption over the last year and this is the last thing they, the teachers and staff needed to contend with.
"I appeal to anyone with information about the incident this morning to contact us."
SDLP councillor Dónal Lyons said the incident was "stupid and shameful".
"Young kids already have enough to be working through after this last year," he added.
It is the second such incident outside the school in less than a year.
Last September, police attended but found nothing untoward after reports of a suspicious device. The school remained open.
