A number of schools in Sydney and Brisbane were evacuated early today after receiving threats, authorities said, the latest in a series of incidents that Australian police blamed on hoax calls.

“Each school is taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of its students and no students are in danger,” the New South Wales Department of Education said, after schools in Sydney received threats for the third school day running, leading to police being deployed.

Schools in Melbourne and Sydney were evacuated after receiving bomb threats on Friday, the first day of the school year in many parts of the country. Several high schools in Sydney were also evacuated yesterday.

New South Wales police called it “a pattern of hoax calls”.

“There is no evidence these are anything other than hoaxes designed to cause unnecessary disruption and inconvenience,” the police said in a statement.

“The threats appear to come from overseas with no credible evidence they could be carried out here... The purpose and exact source of the threats remains unknown.”

Students were also evacuated from schools today in Brisbane, the capital of north-eastern state of Queensland, after threats were made.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told reporters that she was aware of the threats and the police service is taking the issue extremely seriously.

- dpa