COUNCIL officials say that MDF will not be used in Darlington schools until appropriate safety measures are in place.

The borough council banned the material from design and technology lessons in 1998, amid fears that the fine dust it produced could cause problems for asthmatic youngsters.

But the authority lifted the ban in June last year, on the condition that stringent safety conditions were met.

Schools were keen to see the material used again because it was cheaper than wood.

However, inspections carried out by consultants at five secondary schools discovered that safety was not yet up to standard.

Head of the borough council's health and safety, Colin Morrison, said: "None of the schools tested currently meet the required standard.

"The recommendations from the consultants are that we should not be using MDF until such time as things are brought up to standard."