YEAR 11 pupils at Kingsdown School are to sit exams in rooms kept warm with temporary electric heaters as engineers struggle to locate a gas leak.

The school, in Stratton St Margaret, has told the rest of its 1,200 pupils to stay at home for a second day running.

On Monday morning gas could be smelled in a cupboard near one of the school's entrances.

Gas supplier Transco cut off the supply as a precaution.

It was hoped that the leak would be fixed in time for all the pupils to return to school today.

But Kingsdown head teacher David Williams has asked most of the pupils to stay at home.

"Hopefully the repair will be completed today," he said.

"The school will be open for Year 11 pupils because some of them are in the middle of their geography exams and the others will be doing work towards their GCSEs."

The 252 Year 11 pupils, aged 15 and 16, would be accommodated in 11 rooms kept warm with electrical heaters while the gas remained switched off, he added.

Parents and pupils have been asked to tune in to local radio once again to find out when the school will be fully reopened.