THERE will be an open house at Devizes School on Saturday (29) but visitors hoping for a tour of the attics will have to make do with a video of the upper floors as health and safety has decided the loft ladder is not suitable for public use.

But sixth formers have been allowed into the attics of the oldest part of the school building to film it and a cinema room has been set up for people to watch the video that will run on a loop.

A spokesman for the school said: "Health and safety have decided it isn't really suitable for general public to enter and for public to access via a loft ladder. The video will give everyone the opportunity to see what the attics are like though and it would be great to use in school to show students who are not coming along on the 29th."

But although people will not be allowed to go up high they will be able to still venture down low as historian John Girvan will be on hand to give tours of the cellars.

Old year books and other memorabilia will be on show from 10am to 3pm and a tea room with home made cakes will provide refreshments. Entrance is free but donations will be taken for a fund set up to clean the giant Maria Heathcote painting which hangs in reception and was a star of an Antiques Road Show programme filmed at Bowood.

The health and safety restriction on the school open house follows a decision by Devizes Lions not to hold its May Day fair this year because of what they believed was excessive red tape. One official even asked the Lions if they had a plan in case of a terrorist attack.