PUPILS at Bishop Perowne High School got the chance to quiz Worcester MP Michael Foster about their "crumbling" classroom block yesterday.

The Evening News reported on Wednesday that an engineers' report had warned governors at Bishop Perowne High School that the timber-framed Malvern Block has significant structural defects.

City MP Mike Foster, who made the findings public after fearing for the safety of the school's 1,048 pupils, was yesterday back at the Merrimans Hill Road site to take part in a citizenship day on democracy.

Accompanied by City Councillor Pamela Clayton and County Councillor Margaret Wills, Mr Foster talked to pupils about Parliament, councils, the role of MPs and took part in a question time event.

Inevitably, the question about the "crumbling" classroom block came up.

"I made it quite clear to the pupils that my motivation in all of this was to get the best possible facilities for children in my constituency," Mr Foster said.

"Schools should be the equivalent of palaces."

In a letter to mums and dads, headteacher Julie Farr said: "You should be assured that our experts tell us that there is no immediate cause for concern, the block has a number of years of useful life remaining."