Concerned parents have withdrawn their children from a school after it suffered a third suspected arson attack in less than a month.

The fire was discovered in an empty classroom in Southend High School for Girls, in Southchurch Boulevard, yesterday.

One parent, who asked not to be named, said: "I will be withholding my children from school until someone is caught for this. I am not the only parent taking action."

Hundreds of students were quickly evacuated and teaching staff battled through heavy smoke to tackle the blaze with fire extinguishers before leaving the building.

Station officer Daron Driscoll of Southend fire station said: "This is the second incident we have attended at the school in a week, as there was an incident on Monday, and both fires are being treated as malicious."

Published Friday, May 2, 2003

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