Bolton's Canon Slade School is amongst more than 100 asked to take action due to the presence of a concrete prone to collapse.

The secondary school on Bradshaw Brow is open for the start of term but some areas of the site are no longer accessible for safety.

The reason it is amongst those asked to take action is the presence of concrete prone to collapse called Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).

The material was used in a number of buildings in the second half of the 20th century and it came to the attention of the authorities after an incident at a primary school in Gravesend, Kent, in 2018.

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The secondary school, a part of The Bishop Fraser Trust, said it was aware of the RAAC two months ago but it was not considered to be a risk until the introduction of new regulations this week.

A letter to parents signed by headteacher of the school Karen Sudworth and CEO of the trust Tania Lewyckyj reads: "There are areas containing RAAC. These are no longer accessible by students or staff whilst remedial work takes place.

"We have acted as quickly as possible in the light of the new regulations, but we were surprised by the notification with days to go before we open to our children.

"We hope this information is clear and informative and you are assured of your child's safety in school. We will keep you informed of matters throughout this term.

"As always, we continue to have the welfare of students and staff at the heart of all we do."

READ MORE: Canon Slade School spends thousands on fence after vandalism.

No schools for which Bolton Council is responsible, including community schools and voluntary-controlled schools, are affected at this time. One contained RAAC a number of years ago but the issue was addressed while four are in line to be assessed in light of the introduction of new regulations this week.

The council is awaiting an update on the status of the schools for which it is not responsible, including academies like Canon Slade, shortly.

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: "Following Department for Education guidance a number of years ago, we surveyed all the community schools and voluntary-controlled schools of the relevant age which the council has responsibility for. 

"This process identified one school containing RAAC, and the relevant work has already been completed. Following updated Department for Education guidance on age ranges, we will be assessing a further four schools over the next few days. 

"In the unlikely event RAAC is found, we will follow Department for Education guidance to ensure the buildings are safe for pupils and staff.

"A small number of academy buildings and diocese buildings in the borough may also be impacted by today's announcement and we expect to be updated on the status of these schools shortly."

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.