TONS of earth containing asbestos fibres are to be moved from a primary school's playing fields after three Second World War air-raid shelters were found during renovations.

Officers at Lancashire County Council were due to sanction the removal of the earth today, after the discovery of the the shelters at Mount Pleasant Primary School, Clayton-le-Moors.

The improvement work has been funded by a developer who has built a housing estate next to the school.

Lancashire County Council was today unable to confirm which sort of asbestos was found in the ground.

But the fact the Health and Safety Executive has not been informed would indicate it is not the most dangerous sort, blue asbestos.

It is likely to be the more common brown asbestos, which was used for insulation until the 1960s.

It poses little risk unless inhaled in the air over long periods of time, or if it is eaten, when it can settle in the lungs and cause breathing problems.

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "During the design process geotechnical reports were undertaken of the area.

"It uncovered evidence of three air raid shelters under the area of excavation and also small fragments of sheet asbestos underground.

"No provision for dealing with these issues was made in the original tender for the redevelopment, pending further discussions with the County Analyst on what measures which would be required.

"The outcome of the discussions is that financial provision will have to be made within the contract to remove, in accordance with current Health and Safety Regulations, any contaminated soil identified and stabilise areas around the air raid shelters."

He added a provisional sum had been included in the cost of the project to move the earth so that the land could be deemed contamination free.

The project, running to £200,000, is being funded by Bamber Bridge-based Persimmon Homes, which has built next to the Earl Street site.