Class­es have re­sumed at St Joseph Con­vent, Port-of-Spain, fol­low­ing a po­lice lock­down trig­gered by a bomb scare called in at the school.

A mes­sage sent to of­fi­cials of the school late last night warned that a bomb would be det­o­nat­ed on the com­pound at 10 am to­day un­less $100,000 was paid. A re­port was made to the Cy­ber Crime Unit and fire and po­lice units went in­to the school at 6 am. As stu­dents be­gan ar­riv­ing for class­es they were herd­ed in­to the chapel while of­fi­cerss with snif­fer dogs checked the com­pound for any signs of ex­plo­sives.

In a state­ment to par­ents late this morn­ing, prin­ci­pal An­na Pounder and vice prin­ci­pal Mar­itza Ram­phal said of­fi­cers from the Spe­cial Branch and Ca­nine Unit had done a thor­ough sweep of every area of the com­pound.

"The school has been de­clared safe and we are con­tin­u­ing with class and ex­ams," they said.