UNHAPPY parents vented their frustration when a Yate school was forced to close for the third time this academic year because of a faulty boiler.

Teachers at Abbotswood Primary School turned children away on Monday morning when the school's biomass boiler failed to start, leaving many classrooms cold.

The trouble-prone boiler was only installed in July at the school as part of South Gloucestershire Council's policy to reduce carbon emissions.

But parents and school governors say the environmentally-friendly boiler has caused more trouble than it is worth.

So far this academic year the boiler's failings have forced the school to shut three times, the other two occasions coming on October 1 and September 28.

Working parent Julia Jenkins, who has one son in Year 1 at the school, said the boiler's failings had put many parents out.

She said: "The school's faulty boiler has forced me to call off work on a number of occasions at very late notice.

"It is frustrating for my employers, three times in six months is not really acceptable and it's got to the point I fear I could lose my job.

"As parents we can't understand how this problem has gone on so long without being resolved.

"Abbotswood is a great school which is being dragged down by the council's failing to supply it with a working boiler."

School governor Dawn Lane, who has a son in Year 4, said: "There hasn't been a week gone by where it has worked properly.

"There are days we have no hot water or cold temperatures in some classrooms. It is a nightmare getting around it.

"I hope parents understand we have worked really hard to stay open when we can.

"But on Monday we had no option but to close the school when we found the boiler broken and temperatures too low.

"We just have not received the adequate support from the council to back up the new technology."

South Gloucestershire Council has since installed a temporary oil boiler as a back-up until problems with the biomass boiler have been fully resolved.

Spokeswoman Debrah Davies said: "The replacement of the original oil boilers at Abbotswood Primary School was identified as work that needed to be undertaken.

"The boilers were replaced in the autumn term and, although there have been teething problems, both the school and authority have endeavoured to keep the school open.

"The temporary oil boiler was eventually started up at 8.30am on Tuesday and engineers are confident that with the biomass boilers and temporary boiler now in place, heating should be maintained through the winter period."