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St Nicholas' CE First School evacuated: Pupils sent home after 'gas leak'

Pupils have been sent home from a school in Codsall after a suspected gas leak came from a fridge on site.

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Ambulances and firefighters outside St Nicholas' CE First School in Codsall

Four teachers and one child were treated by ambulance crews after the alert at St Nicholas' CE First School on Monday morning.

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All had minor symptoms and did not require hospital treatment, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.

Crews were called to reports of a suspected hazardous substance being found at the school, in Belvide Gardens, at around 11.50am.

Staffordshire Fire Service believe the chemical may have been ammonia but further tests were being carried out.

Pupils were initially evacuated but a decision was taken a short time later to close the school for the rest of the day.

A grandmother outside the school said she had been called by her daughter to collect two children.

Ambulance staff at the scene

Crews initially used breathing apparatus to get inside the building and a gas monitor to try to identify the chemical.

Codsall fire station manager Damian Armstrong said: “We received a call regarding reports of some kind of gas leak.

“We arrived at the school and they had taken the correct decision to evacuate the school.

“It was believed it may be ammonia. We’ve ascertained that the gas leak has come from a fridge.

“We used two breathing apparatus and some gas monitors to be able to identify that.

“The school has taken the decision to close for the rest of the day while we carry out further tests.”

Headteacher Jodie Parker said the school decided to close for the day following the 'gas leak'

Headteacher Jodie Parker said: “We identified the smell straight away and we took the children outside and called the fire service."

She said parents would informed of developments throughout the afternoon.

Around 356 pupils attended the school, according to an Ofsted inspection in 2016.

John Woodhall, tactical incident commander for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: “We treated five people on the scene and all have been safely discharged and no one has been taken to hospital.

“We are going to be leaving an ambulance on the scene.”

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