Council bosses are urging even more schools to check their ceilings after three were forced to make emergency closures this month.

Norfolk County Council has confirmed it will be writing to academy trusts asking them to carry out urgent safety checks on their ceilings.

It comes after three of the region's schools made emergency closures after identifying issues in their classrooms, most recently Avenue Junior School in Norwich.

The troubles at the city school, which affected five classrooms, were discovered after similar problems at Reepham Primary and Fakenham Junior sparked Norfolk County Council to order inspections at 27 of the schools it maintains.

The problems affect schools where the ceilings contain plaster and lath, which can lose their structural integrity over time, particularly if they become wet.

Inspections have so far taken place at around a quarter of the initial 27 schools, with Avenue being the only one that required immediate action.

Following initial risk assessments, the number of schools needing inspections has been reduced to 23.

But a County Hall spokeswoman confirmed that the council is also writing to academy trusts, which maintain other school sites not under council control. 

She added the council has also notified the Department for Education over the issue.

Plaster and lath is a construction method that was largely used before the mid-20th century, meaning it is prevalent in many of Norfolk's schools.

The spokeswoman said: "The presence of this type of ceiling on its own isn't an issue. We are looking for signs of damage which may affect the integrity of the ceiling."

Penny Carpenter (Image: Norfolk Conservatives)

Penny Carpenter, cabinet member for children's services at County Hall, said: "We are inspecting schools that may have this material as a precaution because the safety of children and staff is our first priority.

"Like all local authorities, we do have some old school buildings which have served their local communities for many years and we would welcome any more investment to modernise our classrooms."