St Edmund's School in Dover has re-opened after it was evacuated due to a gas leak yesterday.

Pupils and staff were told to leave the buildings at around 1.30pm.

A witness said all children at the school are safe but had to leave their belongings behind which were kept safe and retrieved this morning.

The school re-opened and was business as usual today.

Steve Petty, school business manager said: "We stayed late with the gas company last night to make sure everything is safe and re-test."

He confirmed that there was a leak to the gas supply from outside, going into the school.

"We evacuated the school in a controlled manner and shut down all the gas into the building and waited for them to come.

"It was a leak on a joint, it's just something that happens over time.

"There has been a complete analysis of the school and a couple of things we need to do, such as re-painting which will make the pipes last 10- 15 years.

"Although we don't want it to happen again, the good thing to come out of it is the reassurance that we have got a safe site."

A Kent County Council spokesperson confirmed that the school had been evacuated after a member of staff smelled gas.

The gas supply was immediately turned off and the premises vacated.

She said: "They called the company who are there now trying to mend it. They have isolated it and it's all safe."

Gas distribution company SGN were called to the site at 2.15pm.

Katie Lobban, a spokesperson for SGN said yesterday: "We were called to St Edmund's School in Dover following reports of a smell of gas. A member of staff did the right thing by calling the National Gas Emergency Number on 0800 111 999.

"Our engineers arrived quickly and identified a small gas escape at the gas meter. The school evacuated before we arrived.

"A temporary repair was made today, and our engineers will return to the school tomorrow to carry out a full repair."