A SCHOOL will be shut for the rest of the academic year after a water leak caused 'significant' damage to the building.

Pupils at Thomasson Memorial Special School in Heaton have been learning remotely from home since the leak was found earlier this month.

Now the local authority has been forced to 'take the difficult decision' to close the building for repairs, which have been made more complicated as the school contains asbestos material.

Children have been relocated to Halliwell.

Council officials say that like all schools of its age, there is some material containing asbestos within the Thomasson Memorial building ­— adding that undisturbed asbestos-containing material poses almost zero risk to health.

But following incidents such as a water leak, certain remediation works are now required to ensure the building is safe.

Key Stage Two and four other children will return to face-to-face learning at Halliwell UCAN Centre

And the nearby Guiding HQ building on Shepherd Cross Street will house Early Years and Key Stage 1 pupils.

The UCAN Centre car park will be fenced off to create a safe play area for the pupils.

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “We want to thank the staff, parents and pupils at Thomasson Memorial Special School for their patience and support in recent weeks.

“A great deal of work has gone into finding a suitable alternative venue for the school and we are pleased that face to face learning can resume from next week.

“We want to reassure everyone that undisturbed asbestos poses no health risk.

“The council has robust management plans for incidents like water leaks and we carry out regular maintenance surveys of all school buildings to ensure everyone’s safety.

“In line with these plans work has already started to assess and repair the damage so teachers and pupils can return to the school.”

Current council services will continue to be run from the UCAN Centre with 'appropriate arrangements' being put in place.