ANGRY parents have threatened to keep their children off school and risk being taken to court after part of a classroom block was deemed dangerous.

Staff at Bardfield Primary School, in Clayhill Road, Vange, sent out text messages just before half term, telling parents the Key Stage 2 building needed to shut “with immediate effect”.

This came despite a letter two weeks earlier insisting the building was safe.

Worried parents rushed to collect children from school earlier this month after a huge crack was found in the wall of one of the classrooms.

Emergency repair work was carried out on the Key Stage 2 building, which consists of eight classrooms, and it has since been open as normal.

Mum Leanne Reid, 30, from Pitsea, said: “If they have had to close the school now, surely it hasn’t been safe all this time?

“I think it’s absolutely disgusting.

“Anything could have happened to my children, it doesn’t bear thinking about. When you send your children to school you expect them to be safe.

“The whole building is really old. It could probably collapse at any point.

“I’m going to round up as many parents as I can on Monday and demand to see the headteacher.

“I want answers and if I don’t get them there is no way my children are going back until the school is sorted.”

Mrs Reid kept her children Freddie, eight, and Lacey, six, off school last Friday, only to receive a phone call fromamember of staff reminding her she could face legal action if she persisted in keeping her children away.

Parents can be fined or even end up in jail if they are convicted of letting their children stay at home.

Another mum, who did not want to be named, added: “My daughter has been in her classroom for the past two weeks and all along it hasn’t been safe. All everyone wants is the truth.

“It makes me feel sick how all of this has been dealt with.

“I want my daughter out of the school.”