Pupils’ day off as school hit by power cut

Friday 4th December 2009, 11:31AM GMT.

Almost 300 Shrewsbury schoolchildren were told to stay at home today after a power cut closed their school.

The decision by council bosses to close the school was made on safety grounds.

The 284 pupils at Sundorne Infants School were given the day off after an electricity distribution board overheated at the school.

Shropshire Council said the decision was taken to close the school for safety reasons and because of the cold weather.

Council spokesman Norrie Porter said the school should reopen as normal on Monday and that closure was considered the safest option.

He said: “The school is closed today and the children have been given the day off.

“This is because with the frost this morning and cold winter weather we thought it would be safer to give them one day off, rather than having them shivering in the classrooms.

“The problem was with a distribution board which had overheated, but it is being fixed today and all being well the school will be open on Monday as usual.”

One parent, who did not wish to be named, sympathised with the council’s predicament.

The parent said: “We were told when we arrived at the school this morning and I think they made the right call because without the heating it would have been very cold for the children there today.”

Central Networks said it was working on the problem and it should be sorted ready for the school to reopen as normal by Monday.

View more: Shrewsbury news, Shropshire Council news, Sundorne news.