PUPILS from an Eastleigh town centre school have been forced to vacate their temporary classrooms - five years after the buildings were condemned in a report by the government's education watchdog.

Seventy children from the two homeless classes have had to squeeze into the main building at the 382-pupil Shakespeare Junior School after floodwater poured into wooden huts.

A Hampshire County Council spokesman said the roof would be replaced during the half-term holiday, ready for when the children return to their desks.

The two wooden buildings, which house four classrooms, have been on the Shakespeare site for more than a quarter of a century.

Now the roof of one building has been so seriously damaged by the rainwater that the county surveyor has ordered that children should not use the building.

Head teacher Stuart Gamble said: "On numerous occasions these buildings have been patched up but it is the first time they have had to be vacated."

Last week pupils who were switched from the temporary classrooms had to be accommodated in the school hall, which is normally used for PE lessons and serving lunches.

Five years ago an Ofsted inspector said the buildings were unsuitable for teaching use and that they should be replaced as soon as possible.

Mr Gamble said: "I think five years is an unreasonable length of time to wait."

Local councillors and parents are demanding action is taken over the wooden huts.

Councillor Chris Thomas said the other school buildings were in good condition but the situation over the temporary buildings was totally unacceptable.

He said: "The county should have identified the problems with these buildings long ago and taken remedial action."

Cllr Thomas added: "In the 21st century it is unacceptable for children to have to put coats on to go from their classrooms to the toilet and for teachers to have to dodge buckets which are there to catch falling water."

He said that it was also unacceptable for children to have to leave their classrooms because of lack of maintenance of temporary classrooms.

Former Eastleigh mayor Councillor Maureen Sollitt, who is also a Shakespeare governor, said: "Temporary accommodation which has been at the school since my children attended is not acceptable in this day and age.

"The school needs a new purpose-built extension, especially in light of this flood damage."

The council spokesman said that a report would be put early next year to Hampshire education chief Councillor Don Allen to consider projects to replace the temporary buildings.