Teachers at a preschool walked out yesterday over worries about air quality because of mould.

Parents were forced to keep their children at home after staff said they were concerned about the safety of the air quality in Prospect Preschool in Devonshire.

Classes were suspended while an education department official and health and safety staff explained the cleaning process and the mould removal plan.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Education said: “The main concern was the process and the time it would take for mould abatement and the level of exposure to students and staff.”

One classroom and the staff room are sealed off and another requires deep-cleaning.

The rest of the school was said to be “satisfactory”.

The spokeswoman said: “Following the meeting and having been satisfied that the health and safety of the students and staff will not be compromised, the teachers and staff returned to school this afternoon.”

The preschool will open as normal on Monday and the Department of Education apologised to parents for any inconvenience caused by the closure.

No one from the preschool staff could be contacted for comment yesterday.