Schools across Scotland have been targeted with a fresh wave of hoax bomb threats, less than a month after a previous alert.

The force said at least 470 schools had received the email but that the warnings were "immediately assessed" as hoaxes and there was nothing to suggest a credible threat.

Specialist cyber crime officers are working to identify the source of the messages, which were sent to both primary and secondary schools.

Similar "bogus" emails were also sent to 300 schools in Northern Ireland.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We understand how distressing messages of this nature can be for pupils, parents, carers and school staff, and the concern they can understandably cause.

"Our advice is that there is no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from education based solely on the content of the emails."

Most local authorities contacted by BBC Scotland said schools were operating as normal but some confirmed pupils had been evacuated.

More than 300 calls were made to police when a similar message was sent to schools around the country on 19 October.

In many areas, pupils were off due to half-term holidays.

On Wednesday the majority of schools in Dumfries and Galloway received the email and some were evacuated as a precaution.

A spokesperson for the local authority said: "Each school community/setting is unique and as such has its own way of supporting and reassuring learners and staff.

"We also know that local police have attended some school settings in a community capacity to assist and reassure."

In Edinburgh Queensferry High School was evacuated and pupils were sent home.

Highland Council confirmed a number of its schools "made the decision to activate their emergency protocols".

Local authorities in Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Lothian, Aberdeenshire and Orkney also confirmed their schools received the message.

In Northern Ireland, the Education Authority (EA) said the "message has similarities with a bogus threat sent last month" which was treated as a hoax by the (PSNI).

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the email originated from outside the UK.