August 13th, 2007

An asbestos scare at a school in the UK has resulted in 400 pupils having to be moved to nearby sites. The Downderry Primary School was found to have been constructed with asbestos after roofers went in to carry out some works.

It was also discovered that another primary school in the area, Gordonbrock primary school, was also originally constructed with the use of asbestos. However, pupils at this school have not been moved and officials state that they are still carrying out an assessment and will keep parents informed.

With regards to the closure of the first school one parent stated: "Closing the school is the right thing to do but it didn't happen soon enough. Instead of sending the kids home with letters on Wednesday, they should have phoned parents and closed the school straight away. Our kids have been breathing it in and we won't find out for years what the effects could be."

A council official stated: "The council is drawing up proposals for the removal of asbestos at both schools. However, this will require the approval of the Health and Safety Executive. Because of this, a start date for the asbestos removal and building works cannot be provided at this time."