PUPILS at a York primary school hit by an asbestos scare will be back in class today - a fortnight after the school first shut.

Wigginton Primary School will reopen today after safety work was completed to remove asbestos from the building.

Some pupils returned to classes the week before last while others have been taught in makeshift classrooms set up in alternative accommodation.

The school, in Westfield Lane, has been closed since Monday, January 7, following the discovery of asbestos during a structural inspection at the school over the Christmas holidays and all children were initially kept away.

City of York Council worked with the school and the Health And Safety Executive to resolve the situation as soon as possible, and the council said not all of the 247 children could return to school.

The HSE gave the council the go-ahead to start decontamination work.

As an interim measure, Years 5 and 6 were taught in their current classrooms as those classrooms were well beyond the buffer zone and children and staff were not considered to be at risk.

Year 3 children were sited in the out-of-school club at the school.

Year 4 were in the Old School, Wigginton and escorted back to the school for lunchtime play. Some reception children were also relocated to Headlands School, Haxby.

Other reception children and those in Year 2 and Year 1 were taught at the Recreation Hall, Wigginton. The closure has caused concern among parents, who wanted a quick resolution to the problem.

A spokeswoman for City of York Council said: "We are pleased to report that the school will now be reopening and all the children can go back for lessons at their own school."

In a letter to parents, head teacher Pat Boyle said: "The children have taken things in their stride and made the most of the experience. They really are to be commended on their behaviour and attitude."