MORE than 100 schools in Devon contain asbestos, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed.

A total of 102 primary schools in the county contain asbestos, the FOI shows.

Two nurseries and one secondary school also contain the material.

Asbestos is a general name given to several naturally occurring fibrous minerals that have crystallised to form fibres.

It was used as a building material in the UK from the 1950s to the 1990s in a number of products, including insulation material for buildings, boilers and pipes; car brakes and floor tiles, insulating board to protect buildings against fire; asbestos cement for roofing sheets and pipes.

Due to the risks to health following inhalation exposure to asbestos the importation of blue and brown asbestos has been banned in the UK since 1985.

This ban was extended to include white asbestos in 1999.