STAFF at a Cumbrian school are to be balloted for strike action following claims that they work in crumbling buildings.

The ATL union says faulty and broken equipment and crumbling buildings at the Whitehaven Academy is forcing it to ballot its 39 members who work there.

The NUT is also understood to be launching a ballot of its members too.

ATL says that mouldy carpets, leaking roofs, lack of heating, unsafe cookers and broken computers must be addressed by the school's sponsors the Bright Tribe Trust to avoid strike action by ATL members.

The deteriorating state of the school is creating a health hazard for staff and pupils and impacting on their education, the union added.

School staff have also written to Education Secretary Justine Greening to outline their concerns.

Stuart Moles, ATL's regional officer for Cumbria and the Isle of Man, said: " We don’t want to take action but we need to protect ourselves and the pupils in our care. The staff are passionate and committed and it is abundantly clear they want the best for their students. But our concerns have been ignored for too long.

"Bright Tribe Trust has to act quickly to avoid this strike and to start talking to the school, its staff and the wider community about how these serious issues will be addressed."

ATL says it served a notice of a ballot to the school yesterday (THURS).

The ballot will open on December 16 and will run over Christmas. The closing date will be January 6.

Earlier this week the Bright Tribe Trust defended claims about the state of the school.

A letter to parents from chief operating officer Kathy Kirkham said: "It is disappointing that the images shared as part of the staff body are misrepresentative."

She said that the majority of images released by staff were of areas of the school which had been closed due to decreased numbers of pupils to help save money or parts that are earmarked for improvements that are already planned.

Mrs Kirkham also said that the trust had put around £400,000 of investments into the academy and a further £500,000 of building improvements are expected over the next year.

Copeland MP Jamie Reed has also asked the government if it will provide funding for improvements.

Bright Tribe took over the running of the Whitehaven school in January 2014.

* See Saturday's News & Star for more.