Unsafe chemical found at school

The Army bomb disposal team was called to a secondary school in Co Meath to dispose of an unsafe chemical earlier today.

The Army bomb disposal team was called to a secondary school in Co Meath to dispose of an unsafe chemical earlier today.

The chemical was found at Ashbourne Community College during a routine assessment of the school's inventory.

A spokesperson for the school confirmed there were no pupils or teaching staff on the premises at the time.

The routine call-out involved the chemical 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine. This substance is commonly used in laboratories at schools and universities, according to a spokesperson for the Army

He added that when the normally safe chemical crystallises and destabilises it becomes sensitive to heat or friction.

It is normal policy for schools to call in the bomb disposal team to deal with this particular chemical.

This was the 14th chemical safely disposed of by the Army bomb disposal team in 2011. Other call-outs have included visits to agricultural schools and universities.