450 people evacuated from primary school after broken refrigerator leaks fumes

About 450 pupils and staff were evacuated from a primary school this morning after a broken refrigerator started leaking fumes.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called to St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School, in Commonside East, Mitcham, at around 10.20am.

Several adults were assessed at the scene by London Ambulance Service (LAS) crews, and one team member was taken to hospital for further checks, as a precaution. 

A spokeswoman from Merton council on behalf of the school said staff had noticed fumes coming out of a malfunctioning refrigerator into an office.

Everyone was evacuated from the building as a precaution before the LFB arrived and no children were exposed to fumes at any point, the council spokesperson confirmed.

A spokesman from the LFB said: “Firefighters used specialist equipment to carry out a sweep of the building to check for elevated readings of chemical substances. No elevated readings were recorded. 

“The incident was over for firefighters by around 11.50am.”

Following the LFB’s checks, the children were returned to the building to continue their day as normal.

Pictured top: St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School, in Commonside East, Mitcham (Picture: Google Street View)