ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Pupils of UK schools are being prevented from bringing in cardboard toilet roll cores due to fears that they could spread disease.

Teachers have alerted parents to the ban quoting alleged health and safety guidelines. However, government officials have denounced these as an "urban myth".

Parents at one nursery school in County Durham were told that the school was unable to use egg cartons, toilet roll holders or medicine containers.

At an infant school in Wiltshire, parents were told to save "cardboard middles ... but NOT toilet tolls". And in an appeal for junk materials at a primary school in Lancashire, staff announced: "We cannot use toilet rolls but love kitchen rolls."

Toilet roll cores have become standard items in craft-making over the years and have been used to make model space rockets and fairytale castles by generations of children.

Matt Endean, of the Consortium of Local Education Authorities for the Provision of Science Services which promotes science in UK primary schools, blasted a so-called Government toilet roll ban as a "perennial myth". 'It is an unrealistic response to a minimal risk," he said.

Food microbiologist at Nottingham University Dr Christine Dodd said there is only a "remote chance" of contamination adding: "There are people who have issues with anything that comes out of toilets." And the Health and Safety Executive described preventing children from handling toilet rolls cores as an "absolute nonsense".

According to an H&SE spokesman: 'Everyday living presents a similar microbiological risk. Perhaps more energy should be put into making sure children and adults wash their hands properly after using the toilet."