PUPILS had to be evacuated from a Kendal school today after a gas leak was smelt just after 9am.

The emergency procedure at St Thomas's CE Primary School had to carried out after lots of people reported a ‘strong smell’ of gas.

Parents were alerted through text messages and children whose guardians were not able to pick them up were taken to St Thomas’ Church.

Headteacher Paul Brown said: “Just after nine people reported smelling a strong smell of gas outside of the school.

"So we put our emergency procedure into practice and got all the pupils outside.

"Those that couldn’t be collected were walked down the road to the church were they have had juice and biscuits and are now playing.”

The gas board are at the school trying to locate the problem which is thought to be a burst pipe.