Asbestos has been discovered in the grounds of a Walsall school – leading to pupils being banned from parts of the site.

Work to create a much-anticipated £20,000 sensory garden for students at Old Hall School has now been halted while bosses join forces with council chiefs to get the material removed.

Pupils at the special school, in Bentley Lane, have been banned from going anywhere near the substance and workmen creating the colourful new garden have been ordered to put down their tools until it is cleared.

They discovered the asbestos, used widely in the 1970s because of its resistance to heat, electricity and chemical damage, and raised the alarm. The material is not harmful unless it is disturbed, when the inhalation of fibres can cause serious illness.

Work started on the garden during the summer holiday and it was hoped it would be finished in time for the start of autumn term. Work will resume as soon as the asbestos is removed.

Children’s services chief councillor Zahid Ali said: “We are aware that asbestos cement debris has been found in the soil within the grounds of Old Hall Special School.

“We have been given expert guidance that it is a very low level risk and officers from Walsall Council are assisting the school in the clean up.”