ASBESTOS in school buildings is a “ticking time bomb” that could kill hundreds of thousands of pupils, National Education Union (NEU) conference delegates warned today.

One in 15 schools still had asbestos last year and more than 300 teaching professionals have died from mesothelioma since 2000, NEU executive member Sarah Vaughan said.

“But even these shocking figures are only the tip of the iceberg,” she insisted.

“There is still no national removal plan and the government’s own survey doesn’t even record where asbestos is.

“This is a ticking time bomb.”

Leeds delegate Terry Bambrook said: “To remove all asbestos safely will cost about £12 billion. However, if we do nothing, it will cost £1.3bn every year in healthcare and another 5,000 lives will be lost, with all the misery, every year.”

A motion demanding that the government set a timeline for the total removal of asbestos from all school and college buildings was due to be voted on as the Morning Star went to press.