Youngsters showered with asbestos

Pupils at a North Yorkshire School were contaminated by asbestos when they were showered by a cloud of dust after a student punched a hole in a ceiling.

Six students, one staff member and an ambulance service crew member had to be decontaminated after the incident at Harrogate High School on Wednesday.

They were kept in isolation while they changed clothes and showered.

Another 14 pupils who were nearby were also asked to change their clothes, which were checked for asbestos fibres.

Crews from Yorkshire Ambulance Service and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene.

'Extremely well trained'

Director of operations for Yorkshire Ambulance, Vince Larvin, said no-one was injured in the incident.

He said: "We were in the fortunate position that our crews are extremely well trained around the area of contamination.

"We were able to contain the area and minimise the impact and any further contamination, along with our colleagues in the fire service."

Consultant head teacher, Paul Lowry, said the clothes of the 14 pupils had been checked as an extra precaution.

He said: "The rules are nowadays that even if it is low grade asbestos that these youngsters have to go through decontamination which actually means that they change clothes and have a shower."