Parents are furious after children were left nearly in tears following the sudden closure of a junior school. 

Watton Junior School contacted parents to tell them the school was closing immediately midway through Thursday afternoon “due to unforeseen circumstances".

It will also be closed on Friday with the Clarion Covus Trust, which runs the school, saying it was due to a “minor hygiene issue”.

Concerned parents were told to pick their children up as soon as possible but they are yet to be given an exact reason why the school has closed.

Eastern Daily Press: A parent pictured waiting to collect their child from the schoolA parent pictured waiting to collect their child from the school (Image: Adam Barker)

One angry parent said: “We went to collect our children and the teachers couldn’t tell us why the school had closed.

“We all just want to know. The headteacher is in the wrong for keeping us all in the dark.”

In a brief statement to parents, a spokesman for the school wrote: “Due to unforeseen circumstances we are having to close the school with immediate effect, including tomorrow.

“Please collect your children as soon as possible today. Do not call the school just please turn up at the office."

Parents say their children also don’t know why the school is closed, with one saying his distressed child was “shaking and nearly in tears”, and that it was “mayhem and panic” when they tried to collect their kids from the school gates.

“If it is something that isn’t worth hiding then I’m going to be quite upset,” he said. “It was appalling.”

Another parent added: “Absolute chaos collecting children. There needs to be a better system for next time so parents aren’t waiting for ages or trying to fight to the front to give names of their children."

Parents are not convinced a minor hygiene issue is enough to close the school for two days.

Some speculate it was a broken water pipe that flooded the school.

One woman who lives next to the school said she heard screaming children at around 2pm – but they were not the “playful” playground voices that she is used to hearing.

Others claim it could be a long-running issue with the school’s roof which they say has leaked before during heavy rain.

The trust’s full statement read: “We were made aware of a minor hygiene issue at Watton Junior School on the afternoon of Thursday, May 16.

“In order to ensure the welfare of our staff and pupils, we took the decision to close the school.

“We are in the process of investigating the issue and we are confident we will be able to open the school fully as soon as possible.”

The trust also confirmed that nobody was in any danger or came to any harm.

It added sightings of an air ambulance in the area that day were unrelated but refused to give any further comment.