Arsonists were today blamed for a fire which threatened to destroy a school.

Fire crews spent an hour tackling the blaze at Westerings School, in Sunny Road, Hawkwell, which gutted the caretaker's store room.

Burned out - the fire in caretaker Roger Venus's maintenance shed almost caught the rest of Westerings School ablaze Picture: LUAN MARSHALL

Emergency officers believe had they arrived ten minutes later, the whole school would have caught light and been destroyed.

Crews from Southend and Rochford brought the fire under control and a joint investigation with the police was today underway to determine how it started.

Southend station officer Rudy Jackson said: "We got the call at about 6.50pm last night and the fire was so big we could see the smoke from our station in Sutton Road, Southend.

"When we got to the school the workshop was completely alight and we had a problem with aerosols which were burning in there.

"The fire had started to spread to the roof of main school building."

He added: "Apparently, youths were seen running around the place earlier in the day and we are certainly treating the fire as suspicious."

Roger Venus, school site manager, said: "It was my site workshop, which is quite a big complex, that has been burnt to the ground.

"The fire caught some of the felt on the main school roof as well, but luckily the firefighters put it out before the whole school went up."

Despite the fire, the school was expected to be open today.

Any information can be given to Rayleigh police on 01268 775533.

Published Monday, April 14, 2003

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