Only a week after the tragedy that linked a video game to a German school shooting, a new tragedy was very close to happen, this time in the United Kingdom.

A 16 year old student from Norfolk threatened to burn his school down. He also added a picture of a gas can which he put on the public forum of the famous technology website newgrounds.com.

Luckely, a student at Montreal's Concordia University, Canada, reported the threat to the police who were able to apprehend the student only a few feet from his school in Norfolk, 170km north of London.

"I saw this thread started by this guy. It didn't seem serious at first. It said that today at 11:30 a.m. GMT I will commit violence and other forms of arson against my school. He had posted a picture of a gas can," Neufeld told CBC News.

Upon the Canadian student's phone call, Neufeld, the police tracked the English student thanks to the forum link which lead to his arrest in less than an hour after the phone call.

The head teacher at Attleborough High School, Stuart Bailey, thanked Neufeld and encourages anyone who reads such threads in forums to take action and not take it as a joke.

"I am very grateful to the person who did the right thing and made us aware." Stuart Bailey.

The 16 year old male student who was found with a knife, matches and a canister of flammable liquid, is currently held in custody.

Picture: CBC