FEARS have been raised about the amount of asbestos present in schools.

Teaching unions have warned the issue is not being safely managed with staff not routinely informed whether their school contains asbestos and where it is located.

Figures show asbestos-containing materials are present in hundreds of primaries and secondaries across East Lancashire.

The hazardous building material was present in 14 secondary schools and more than a hundred primaries, according to a Freedom of Information response by Lancashire County Council.

The figure is likely to be higher as information was not provided on the amount present in schools not under the authority’s control.

The information was not provided by Blackburn with Darwen Council, but in 2015 it was identified in 11 schools.

Between 2011 and 2016 there were also nine claims pursued against County Hall for asbestos exposure in areas including Burnley.

Two claims were settled at schools outside East Lancashire costing more than £170,000.

Council bosses said they have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on asbestos remediation work which is included within its condition led programme to improve school buildings.

A council spokesman said: “I can confirm that the majority of the asbestos work covered by the condition led programme was completed during July and August 2016.

“This has resulted in a large number of asbestos containing materials being removed from Lancashire’s Community Schools.

“The total budget for the five asbestos removal projects alone, was in excess of £800,000 and demonstrates the authority’s pro-active approach to asbestos removal from Lancashire schools.”

A survey carried out by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) found nationally 50 per cent of respondents had not been told whether their school contains asbestos despite 86 per cent of schools containing it.

Of those that had been told, half had not been told where it was located.

Simon Jones, Lancashire representative for the NUT, said: “This survey reveals an appalling state of affairs in our schools.

"It certainly serves to strengthen our case for the Government to commit to a long-term strategy for the phased removal of asbestos from all our schools.

“Parents need to be reassured that asbestos is being safely managed."