The exam room had to be evacuated

Buildings at Newark High School were evacuated when staff noticed a pungent smell and suspected a methane leak.

Fire crews, ambulances and paramedics were called out, although none of the pupils needed treatment.

Around 20 teenagers taking a geography GCSE exam had to leave. They managed to finish the paper elsewhere

Helping hand

Head teacher Keith Sudbury said: "We had to get them outside and make sure they were kept separate from everybody else.

"We had a large number of staff there who had instructions to make sure no one spoke or communicated.

"When we realised we could not go back into the building we contacted the exam board and we contacted the neighbouring school, the Magnus.

"I'd like to thank the Magnus because they absorbed our pupils and they managed to finish the exam there."

The school has now been given the all-clear and lessons will resume as normal on Tuesday.