FAKE school nurses are texting parents to get details about their children.

A warning has been put out to schools by Essex County Council's children safeguarding team.

Schools across Essex may have been affected.

It has been reported that a hoaxer, purporting to be a "school nurse", has been in contact with parents asking for pupil information.

It is understood parents of pupils at Thurstable School in Tiptree and Plume Academy in Maldon have been warned about the scam. 

In a post on Facebook the Gilberd School said: "We have been asked by the Local Authority to pass on the following warning:

"School Nurses do not send text messages as their first contact with parents.

"If you receive a text message requesting information about your child from anyone purporting to be a School Nurse, please DO NOT engage."

To check the validity of any request received, please contact the Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service Single Point of Access:

Mid Essex 0300 247 0014 (option 2)

North Essex 0300 247 0015

South Essex 0300 247 0013

West Essex 0300 247 0122

Richard Comerford, Managing Director of the Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service, said: “After being contacted by parents who said they had received text messages from a person claiming to be a school nurse, we contacted local schools to let them know that, while we do send generic texts such as appointment confirmations, our nurses do not send personal texts to make contact with parents and to inform them not to engage with any message sent in this way.

"The police have been informed.”

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "On Tuesday January 7, we received a report of malicious communication after text messages were sent to the parent of a child who attends a school in Braintree.

"The sender claimed to be a school nurse and asked the parent to answer questions about their child.

"Essex County Council Safeguarding Service issued advice to schools after they were made aware of the text messages, which they established were a hoax.

"Enquiries are ongoing.

"If you have received communications of a similar nature, please report it to us by calling 101 or visiting www.essex.police.uk"

Essex Police and Essex County Council have been contacted for comment.