Parents call for action over sewage leaks at Digswell school

St John's Church of England Primary School has been forced to close one of the entrances used by children on a number of occasions due to sewage leaking from a Thames Water pump next to the gate.

One parent, who asked to remain anonymous, said the entrance has been inaccessible on "at least 10 separate occasions", with five of those coming since last December.

"Over the last academic year, one of the entrances to the school has had to be closed for several days on at least 10 separate occasions," they said.

"Each time this happens, Thames Water attend the site and clean up the sewage but don't fix the problem. So the sewage then starts spilling into the school grounds again a few weeks later.

"The school usually sends an email to parents when this happens and I’ve had a look at my emails and there have been at least five occasions since December when this has happened."

The closure of the entrance also forces children to walk to the other side of the school, using a narrow footpath along Hertford Road, something which the parent described as "an accident waiting to happen".

The narrow footpath along Hertford Road. (Image: Supplied)

"The knock-on affect of this is that half of the children at the school are having to walk round to another entrance along the very busy Hertford Road, with a footpath which is very narrow. 

"It's an accident waiting to happen and it's all caused by Thames Water failing to fix their leaking sewage."

In a short statement, a spokesperson for St John's Church of England Primary School said: "As a school we share the concerns outlined by our parents."

The Welwyn Hatfield Times reached out to Thames Water for comment, but did not receive a response.