LISTEN: Highland school safety fears after ceiling collapse
Wick kids' education on hold after brand new school's heating system fails
Caithness kids are without a classroom until Monday, May 30th, because their brand new school in Wick has been shut.
Noss Primary pupils were evacuated from the £15million building yesterday after the ceiling collapsed.
Gail Ross is an MSP for the area and says the incident was caused by a leaking hot water pipe.
She told MFR News: "Luckily the children were not in their classrooms when it happened. They were at lunch.
"The head teacher walked into the corridor and the place was flooding and it was like a sauna. Extremely worrying.
"I believe that half of one of the wings is inaccessible at the moment. The ceilings have come down.
"It's shocking and it's worrying. Highland Council really needs to make sure that they're reassuring parents.
"I'll be calling for a full investigation to find out what happened."
The local authority's director of care and learning, Bill Alexander told MFR News: "Naturally everyone is very disappointed, as things had been running particularly well at the new school."
STATEMENT FROM HIGHLAND COUNCIL:
The Highland Council has been forced to close Noss Primary School.
The closure is due to a significant failure of a hot water connection to the heating system located in the ceiling of the east wing resulting in significant water damage, and no heating.
The Council has taken the advance decision to close the school tomorrow so that parents are aware early in order to arrange necessary childcare.
The closure continues to be necessary to allow time for a proper assessment of the extent of damage and required repairs.
**
ABOVE: The new school, which cost £15million, only opened last month before yesterday's evacuation.