School closes early over 'extremist abuse'

A school that has become a "target of extremist abuse" has said it will be closed on Friday due to safety concerns.

Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire, prevented one of its students, who had been wearing a union jack dress, from contributing to its culture celebration day last week.

In a letter seen by the BBC, Ranjit Samra, CEO of Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust and headteacher Jayne Delves said staff had been threatened.

The letter said: "The nature and tone of this abuse has escalated in recent days including personal threats to staff."

The letter continued: "While we have been working closely with our multi-agency partners to address the situation, our primary responsibility remains the safety and wellbeing of every child and member of staff.

"This is not a decision we have taken lightly. We understand the disruption this may cause to your families and your child's education, but the safety of our school community must come first."

The letter ended by thanking parents and guardians for their understanding and continued support during a "very challenging time".

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