An Army Bomb Disposal Team was called to a school in Co. Tipperary this evening to make safe a quantity of unstable chemical in the school science lab.

A quantity of Picric Acid was removed from the  Christian Brothers College in Thurles and was taken to a safe location where army technicians carried out a controlled explosion on it.

The school was evacuated and a nearby road was closed off to traffic for a time - but the scene was declared safe at half past 8 this evening.

Picric Acid is  routinely used in laboratories - and can become unstable over time.