A SCHOOL in danger of slipping into a river may have to be demolished.

Bolton Parish Church school has been closed amid fears the playground could slide 30ft into the River Tonge because of erosion.

The alarm was raised in the summer holidays and the school was due to reopen yesterday, at the start of the new term.

But it was sealed off and today it was revealed it may have to be bulldozed.

The pupils will be moved to the empty Longsight Primary School, Harwood, later this month.

Bolton Council assistant education director Chris Swift believes there are only two options for Bolton Parish - it could be demolished and rebuilt on another part of the existing Kestor Street site, or it could be repaired.

Depending on survey results, underpinning foundations or shoring up the river banks may be enough to save the school.

In the meantime, pupils will be bussed to Longsight for the autumn term.

Staff are already helping to move furniture, books and computers to the temporary school.

Mr Swift said: "It's early days for a decision.

"The structure of the building is sound and it isn't dangerous.

"What we know so far is that there is difficulty with the ground due to subsidence and we are just not prepared to take any risks.

"Nothing is collapsing around anyone - we just want to make sure that we can get proper surveys done on the ground."

But Mr Swift said enough of the river bank had slipped away "for us to think something could happen".

Bolton Parish School, which currently has 218 pupils and a nursery, was built in 1975 at a cost of £133,000.

It replaced the nearby 100-year-old Ridgways Endowed CE Primary School.

This is not the first time the school has had a brush with disaster.

In 1990, the school was destroyed by fire that caused £1 million worth of damage.

Youngsters had to be taught at a different school for 18 months while Bolton Parish was rebuilt.