Health and safety experts are moving into a Bradford school to check if children and staff are at risk from asbestos.

The inspectors will analyse the dangers posed by asbestos in wall panels at Ryshworth Middle School in Crossflatts.

A second school in the district will be also be checked by the HSE experts who have been called in by the Council to quell fears from teaching unions and parents.

The NUT has named five schools, including Ryshworth Middle, where it believes there could be problems with asbestos.

Gilstead Middle, Woodend Middle, Ladderbanks Middle and Parkside Middle were also built in the late 1960s and early 1970s to the same architect's plans.

The union said the problem lies with asbestos in concrete wall panels and the potential hazard was only identified in the 1990s.

Miriam Murch, health and safety advisor for Bradford NUT, said dealing with asbestos in schools should be a top priority.

"I would not apply for a job in a school with asbestos in the walls of the classrooms. Children and teachers should not be made to work in classrooms containing asbestos," she said.

But Ryshworth Middle School's chairman of governors Alastair Richards said he was satisfied that there was no risk to users of the school.

"As far as the experts are concerned it is not posing any risk to children or teachers," he said.

A Council spokesman said the authority had a rigorous policy to deal with asbestos, which follows HSE recommended guidelines, which is scrupulously followed in all affected buildings, including schools which are inspected every six months by suitably qualified staff.

The asbestos fibres at Ryshworth were unlikely to be released, but, to allay fears, the HSE had been called in.

But parent Daniel Caulfield, who has two girls at the school, Sophie and Lauren, said: "I'm a builder so I know a bit about asbestos and told my girls not to sit near the walls.

"I am worried about the asbestos panels and children sitting next to walls could be exposed.''

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