The campus had to be evacuated as a precautionary measure
Maxine Denton Senior Reporter
15:21, 05 Nov 2025
St Brendan’s Sixth Form College in Brislington Bristol was evacuated after a bomb hoax incident(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC)
A college in Bristol has issued a statement after an “unsettling” bomb hoax. It follows a major police response to the incident at St Brendan’s Sixth Form College yesterday afternoon (November 4).
Firearms officers, the dog unit and specialist search officers were deployed to the college, on Broomhill Road, South Bristol, after receiving a call just after 3pm. Upon arrival at the college, officers identified a 17-year-old boy and arrested him on suspicion of making bomb hoax – communicating false information.
A CCTV review was completed and the decision was made to conduct a precautionary evacuation of the college. All students and staff were escorted off the site while specialist search officers and dogs carried out a comb-through of the campus, finding no evidence of an explosive device.
In a statement issued today (November 5), St Brendan’s Sixth Form College said it worked closely with Avon and Somerset Police in response to the isolated incident that required precautionary safety measures. The college said police have since confirmed there was no credible threat to the college community and no one was harmed.
A spokesperson for St Brendan’s Sixth Form College said: “We are very grateful to Avon and Somerset Police for their prompt and professional support, and to our staff and students for their calm and cooperative way they responded to the incident.
“We understand that this incident may have been unsettling. We want to reassure parents, carers, and the wider community that the situation was managed swiftly and in close partnership with the police at every stage and at no point was there a verified threat to anyone’s safety.
“As ever our priority remains the safety, wellbeing and reassurance of everyone in our community. Normal operations will resume tomorrow. Our priority remains the safety and reassurance of all members of our college community.”
Marian Curran, Principal of St Brendan’s Sixth Form College, added: “I want to thank our staff, students, and the police for their calm and professional handling of today’s events. The wellbeing or our community is always our highest priority, and today’s response reflects the strength of our partnership with Avon and Somerset Police and the care our community shows for one another”
The college said it recognises that some students or staff may feel unsettled following yesterday’s events and support is available through the college’s wellbeing and safeguarding teams as well as speaking with a member of staff or tutor.