A TEENAGER has been arrested after schools in Dorset were targeted in a bomb hoax.

Staff from Avonbourne Trust and St Martin's in Bournemouth, as well as Lytchett Minster School in Poole, alerted police after receiving threatening emails on Monday morning.

Avonbourne Trust has four academies; Avonwood Primary, Avonbourne College, Harewood College and Avonbourne Sixth Form.

They were among 400 schools in England to receive the emails.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said there was "no credible threat" to schools.

A 19-year-old man was arrested by Hertfordshire police in Watford on Wednesday evening on suspicion of blackmail and making malicious communications.

A spokesperson from the NCA said in a statement: "We understand parents' and teachers' concerns but stress there was no credible threat to the emails schools received.

"However we are taking the communications extremely seriously.

"As this is a live investigation we are unable to comment further."

Dorset Police confirmed the force was alerted to threats made to three schools. No one was evacuated.