A ROOM has been forced to close at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates' Court after collapse-risk concrete was found there, it has emerged. 

The building, overlooking City Park, is one of nine courts across England found to contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), according to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

A spokesperson for the MoJ said three of those buildings have been temporarily shut.

Bradford and Keighley Magistrates' Court remains open apart from a single room.

The MoJ spokesperson said: "RAAC presence is rare across the court estate - of over 350 buildings, only nine sites have been identified that currently contain this material, and local staff and judiciary are aware.

"While we have temporarily closed three of these sites, and a single room in another, the remaining buildings have been deemed safe by professionals and continue to operate as normal.

"Sites will continue to be regularly assessed over the coming weeks and months."

RAAC is a lightweight material that was used mostly in flat roofing, but also in floors and walls, between the 1950s and 1990s. 

It is a cheaper alternative to standard concrete and has a lifespan of around 30 years.

According to the MoJ, Doncaster Justice Centre North, Harrow Crown Court and Preston Magistrates' Court have been temporarily closed, as has a single room at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court.

RAAC has also been detected at Blackpool County Court, Blackpool Magistrates' Court, Crewe Magistrates' and County Court, Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts in Liverpool and Inner London Crown Court.

In recent months, RAAC has been discovered in hundreds of public buildings across the country.

The concrete blighted more than 150 schools just as children were about to start the new year.

Several schools in the Bradford district were among those affected.

On Monday, the Telegraph & Argus reported that Bradford's National Science and Media Museum was forced to shut its Pictureville cinema over the "presence of RAAC".

A spokesperson for the museum said: "The cinema will remain closed for the time being to facilitate more detailed investigations, and a further update will be issued in November. 

"The museum is in contact with anyone who had pre-booked tickets for this period."

The news came after a recent Council meeting heard around 370 public buildings in Bradford were built in the period when RAAC was used.