A bomb scare has shut down a Sydney school.

A school on Sydney’s Northern Beaches was put into lock-down today after a suspicious device was found inside a garbage bin.

Garbage collectors discovered the suspected chlorine bomb outside Pittwater House in Dee Why just prior to 9am, causing police to enforce road closures in the area, reports The Daily Telegraph.

The bomb squad later determined the device was harmless.

Northern Beaches Insp Guy Magee told The Daily Telegraph that the device posed no danger to students or residents.

“It was a plastic bottle with wires and tape but it was never going to explode and never posed a threat to anyone,” he said.

“It was spotted by garbage collectors and they thought it was real.”

In a statement on social media, a spokesperson for the independent co-ed school wrote:

“This morning the students, guests and staff at Pittwater House School were put into lockdown as a consequence of a suspected bomb nearby.

“This has been a rehearsed process and the procedure was followed by all.

“During this time, the students, guests, staff and families were kept informed of events.”

The incident ended shortly after 11am, allowing road closures to be lifted and students to return to classes as normal.

Feature image via Google.