A Darlington infant school has been closed indefinitely after flood damage to the boiler room left the classrooms without power, heating and light.

But it is possible that the children at Firthmoor Infants may never return to their classrooms because a bid is being prepared to build a new school on the Estoril Road South site.

Firthmoor Infants merged with Firthmoor Juniors to create Firthmoor Primary School in September this year.

Repair work to the boiler room in the infant block, which is estimated at more than £150,000, may take months to complete once the 8ft-deep flood water subsides.

The ageing infant block also requires other work and Darlington Borough Council has admitted it may never re-open.

Meanwhile, the school's 131 infant pupils will be moved into classrooms in the main building, where there are already 191 junior school pupils.

Two portable classrooms will be delivered to the school next week and set up next to the school's main building.

The new classrooms will come complete with toilets, disabled toilet, double glazing, carpets, electric lighting and heating.

The school's 39 nursery children will remain in their present classroom and a generator will provide the classroom with power, heating and light.

A third portable classroom, purpose built for nursery pupils, is also planned.

Firthmoor Primary has been closed for the last two days while teachers prepare the classrooms for the new pupils.

Andrena Cabourn, head- teacher of Firthmoor Primary, said: "The teaching staff are committed to ensuring that there is as little disruption to the pupils education as possible.

"We are creating an infant block within the school and everyone is working flat out to make sure that on Monday morning it's business as usual for pupils and teachers."

The school buildings and grounds are covered by closed circuit television cameras and the council says all moves will be planned to ensure that the safety and security of pupils and teachers is not compromised.

Darlington council is preparing a multi-million pound bid for a new primary school for Firthmoor, which will be submitted to the Government before the end of January 2001