The council originally shut 17 schools as a precaution after nine tonnes of masonry collapsed at Oxgangs Primary during Storm Gertrude due to missing wall header ties.

Initial structural surveys just after the collapse revealed similar problems at two other schools.

But the full investigation of all school buildings has now confirmed a total of five other schools suffered defects in wall tie design.

The extent of the problem was revealed yesterday in evidence to the Scottish Education Committee investigating the matter.

City of Edinburgh Council’s head of property facilities management Peter Watton told MSPs five properties had similar issues, although they were not identical and not to the same extent.

Watton confirmed that further wall-tie defects were also found at Currie, Towerbank and Cramond primary schools and Valley Park Community Centre. These would be fixed over the summer, while problems at a fifth school, Queensferry High School, have already been rectified.