SAFETY checks are to be carried out on free-standing walls in schools across Irvine and Kilwinning following the death of a 12-year-old girl in Edinburgh.

Keane Wallis-Bennett (pictured) was fatally injured when a wall collapsed on her during gym class at Liberton High School on Tuesday, April 1.

Police and health and safety officials are investigating the accident in which Keane was fatally injured by the 'modesty’ wall in the school’s PE changing rooms.

A survey of the city’s schools has found similar walls, which were quickly cordoned off for safety inspections, although officials insist there is no cause for concern.

Now, schools in Irvine and Kilwinning are due to be inspected to check the walls, at the insistence of the council leader.

At a meeting of NAC’s full council last week, Council Leader Willie Gibson called for safety checks at schools across North Ayrshire to be carried out as “a matter of priority”.

Presenting his Leader’s Report, he said: “My thoughts go out to the family of the girl in Liberton High School and I would ask that all our schools are checked for the safety of free standing walls as a matter of priority.” A spokesperson for North Ayrshire Council added: “We carried out an assessment of all of our schools over the last 12 months.

“As a result of the recent incident in Edinburgh a follow up visit to all schools will be carried out to review free standing structures within the buildings.

“There are clear systems in place which ensure that pupils and staff can alert the schools and the council of any concerns.” Speaking about the tragedy last week, Education Secretary Mike Russell said every local authority in Scotland will be checking school buildings.

He said government officials had contacted councils to discuss the way in which that might be done.

The minister added that he would be “very surprised” if any local authority had not responded to the Edinburgh tragedy in this way.