Hornchurch & Upminster MP Julia Lopez has raised concerns with local police after graphics were shared locally on social media as part of a TikTok trend encouraging so called ‘red vs blue’ school fights and ‘school wars’.
Concerned parents have been in touch with the local MP and Mrs Lopez has written to school leaders so that headteachers have clear points of contact if concerns escalate. The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are aware of this online activity and are monitoring the situation closely. They are working with schools, increasing patrols where necessary and taking action to remove harmful content. The police have also warned that encouraging or taking part in violence could lead to serious consequences, including criminal charges.
Mrs Lopez has separately raised direct enquiries with local Neighbourhood Policing lead, Superintendent Brind, to highlight her concerns, ask what more can be done locally to deter copycat behaviour and ensure schools can escalate concerns quickly if needed.
Mrs Lopez said:
“This trend is deeply concerning. Any suggestion of violence involving young people must be treated seriously, and I want to ensure our local schools have clear routes to raise concerns quickly. I have raised this directly with local police and will continue pressing for a strong local response.”
Mrs Lopez argues that this incident is another reminder of the need for stronger action to protect children online. As Shadow Tech Secretary, she has set out a new policy to ban phones from schools and restrict access to social media for under 16s, and underlined the urgency of better protecting children from online harms in the House of Commons earlier this week. MPs will soon have an opportunity to vote on proposals to prevent under 16s accessing harmful social media.
Local school leaders who need to raise urgent concerns can contact Mrs Lopez’s office at [email protected] so they can be taken up quickly with the police as appropriate.
