School shuts over 'gas poisoning'

The school is closed while investigations continue

Investigations have begun at a school where 10 people became ill with possible carbon monoxide poisoning.

Seven students, aged between 11 and 18, one teacher and two assistants from Cordeaux School in Louth, Lincolnshire, were treated in hospital on Thursday.

Six were taken to Louth County hospital and the others to Grimsby, but they are expected to be released soon.

The school will remain closed on Friday while attempts are made to find the cause of the incident.

'Further tests'

Lincolnshire's director of education Cheryl Berry said: "We contacted the parents of children at the school to check whether anyone else had used the art room and had suffered any symptoms.

"There were two other children who reported feeling sick and having headaches but we don't expect any more cases.

"The school was checked last night and will be checked again this morning but the cause appears to be intermittent and we are looking over the whole campus."

The school's head teacher Peter Kubicki said: "Today the environmental health, the fire service and all the experts in this area will be running further tests so we can make sure we get to the root cause of the problem."