An infant school and nursery had made the “difficult decision” to close after a burst water pipe raised safety concerns for hundreds of children.

Staff at Bligh Infants and pre-school in Strood put out an urgent call for hundreds of pupils to be collected from the site in Bligh Way.

The junior school remains open.

Emergency repair teams are on site to fix the problem.

A statement from the school said: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, a burst water pipe has caused significant disruption to the Infant school and Nursery water supply.

“Unfortunately, this issue has rendered the school facilities unsafe and unsuitable for use at this time.

“Can we please ask that you collect your child as a matter of urgency.

“As a result, we have made the difficult decision to close the Nursery and Infant school temporarily today while repairs are carried out.

“The health and safety of our students and staff remain our top priority, and we are working diligently to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.

“We currently have the relevant authorities and repair teams on site to ensure the issue is addressed promptly.

“We will keep you updated with further information and will notify you immediately once we are able to reopen the school.”

The school is run by the Maritime Academy Trust. Both the school and Trust have been approached for further information.

The school is due to break up for the Christmas break on Friday.