Parents to sue East Dunbartonshire Council over 'zombie film' carbon monoxide leak at primary school

East Dunbartonshire Council is facing nearly 30 damages claims from families concerned about the long-term effects on their children of exposure.

Earlier this year the council was fined in the criminal courts after admitting breaching health and safety conditions at Balmuildy Primary School.

The local authority said it had a rigorous safety monitoring regime following the incident at the Bishopbriggs school in 2020.

In a statement provided to the BBC by Thompsons Solicitors, one mother said she dashed to the school after receiving a call about the carbon monoxide (CO) leak. The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, described the scene as like “something from a zombie film” with pupils vomiting, fainting and lying passed out on the floor.

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She said her children had complained of feeling extremely unwell after school, but recovered quickly once they were home.

"They sat in a building inhaling fatal levels of carbon monoxide, which we have been told but for 'sheer luck' there was no fatalities due to the high level of CO detected," she told the BBC.

The mother described feeling “guilt” for not realising sooner what was happening and for sending their children to a “place of danger”.

Another mother took her son to hospital after he complained of sickness, headaches and feeling dizzy. She said: "My son still suffers from headaches as a result of his exposure and the fact that it wasn't properly checked shows the incompetence of the council."

Families claim they have not been fully informed about what went on leading up to the school being evacuated.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report released under Freedom of Information laws states that on day one of the Balmuildy incident - February 19, 2020 - 35 pupils and four staff members, most of whom were located in the school's tower building, complained of headaches, nausea and sickness.

Windows were reportedly opened and staff asked the council to carry out tests. A test was performed the following day but for gas, not CO, which can be deadly if inhaled in high concentrations

The report states a teacher brought in a domestic CO detector that her father had given her. This detector's alarm went off, indicating the presence of CO.

Another staff member went to the local B&Q and purchased more monitors, which also sounded an alarm. Scottish Gas Network were then called and the school was evacuated.

At a court hearing, it was heard the boilers at the school had been tested in 2018, with an earlier service taking place in 2017. However, the HSE report states no gas safe certificate for the school was provided.

The report also contained reference to paperwork that shows of the council's 43 schools, 12 had had no inspection conducted in as much as six years prior to the incident at Balmuildy.

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No records could also be found for another ten of the 43 schools, "indicating the possibility that these gas systems may have been left without inspection for a longer period". The investigation by HSE gas safety experts found one of the boilers to be leaking CO in the school's plant room, which filled the rest of the school.

Ann Davie, the council's chief executive, said: "As soon as it was brought to our attention the gas boiler was decommissioned, the HSE was contacted along with other relevant external agencies.

"As a result, comprehensive measures were put in place to ensure the safety of all staff and pupils.”