Police issue new update after two arrested over viral ‘school wars’ trend

Two suspects have been bailed over the viral school wars trend which encouraged children to ‘be violent’ with each other.

One man in his 20s and a 15-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of encouraging or assisting in crime.

The Metropolitan Police has since confirmed they have been bailed.

The arrests are believed to be the first in connection with the trend, which Metro was the first to reveal.

Viral Tiktok post saw pupils being told to bring compasses and combs to fight each other at organised locations throughout London.

The trend, which originated in Hackney around three weeks ago, soon spread outside of the capital to the rest of the UK.

Parents were urged to pick up their children from the school gates, as teenagers were told to ‘jug and bang’ pupils from different schools depending on whether they were on Team Blue or Team Red.

Confirming the arrests on Tuesday, police said: ‘On Sunday, 1 March at approximately 18:45hrs, Met officers arrested two individuals in Central East London in connection with a recent trend of social media posts.

‘Both suspects, a man aged in his 20s and a boy aged 15, were arrested on suspicion of encouraging or assisting in a crime. They remain in police custody.

‘A strong police presence remains around schools, particularly at the end of the school day.

‘Local officers continue to work alongside local authority partners, school leaders and parents, whose joint robust response has been vital in protecting young people across the last week.’

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