Walsall Studio School said the trend, which encourages pupils from different schools to take part in organised fights, had seen reports of these so-called fights
15:36, 02 Mar 2026Updated 15:48, 02 Mar 2026
Posters like this one are being circulated to encourage school wars(Image: Instagram )
A secondary school has warned parents over a ‘Red v Blue type-war’ after the social media craze emerged in the West Midlands.
Walsall Studio School said the trend, which sees posts encouraging pupils at different schools to take part in organised fights to score “points” for their team, started in London.
But staff at the mixed school said the issue had already spread to the region, including Walsall, with reports of violent behaviour here.
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Posters on social media encourage kids to turn their pencil cases into deadly weapons.
The alert follows headteacher Kerensa Neal, from Plantsbrook School, issuing an urgent message to parents and carers with a warning of a message being circulated about a ‘Sutton Coldfield school war’.
Now Walsall Studio School has issued its own plea to parents by encouraging their children to stay at home outside of school hours and avoid any situations or groups “that could put them at risk”.
A general view of Walsall Studio School(Image: Google)
In a message to parents, Walsall Studio School said: “We have been made aware of reports about so called “Red and Blue” fights between young people – an issue that began in London and now appears to be emerging in the West Midlands, including Walsall.
“While we have no evidence of direct involvement from our students, we want to prioritise their safety.
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“Please ensure you know where your child is at all times, encourage them to stay at home outside of school hours, and remind them to avoid any situations or groups that could put them at risk.
“Thank you for your continued support in keeping our young people safe.”
A West Midlands Police spokeswoman told BirminghamLive: “We’re aware of reports in the West Midlands and nationally suggesting children from some schools are planning to take part in organised fights.
“We are speaking to schools locally and offering them support where necessary.
“We’d urge parents to speak to their children around their use of social media and other online platforms to ensure they are staying safe.”
Posters urging children to attack each other appear to have been created by AI, our sister paper the Daily Mirror reports.
‘Wars’ first started in Capital last month when posters were posted on TikTok and Snapchat of two men in balaclavas. They are stood like boxers side by side, with one in red and the other in blue.
One of the posts advertised a “North London war” pitting four named schools on the “red side” and four schools on the “blue side”.
A different post promoted a “Hackney war” telling kids to “bring your best weapons” alongside images of scissors, a school ruler, a knife, a compass, a comb and fireworks.
The Met asked for anyone prompting school wars to have their social media account banned.
Commander Neerav Patel, from the Met, said: “We continue to closely monitor online spaces and have worked with platforms to request a dozen social media accounts to be disabled where threats or violence were planned or encouraged.”
In a message to pupils, he said: “I would like to remind young people of the serious consequences of getting involved in matters like this.
“An arrest, charge and conviction for violence and carrying weapons could mean imprisonment, with a significant long-term impact on future opportunities.”
