A GANG of fireraisers broke into a school and started a bonfire on the roof of a store room.

The children carried up to 10 plastic chairs from a classroom across the playground of Smithills School and piled them on top of a garage containing sports equipment.

They then set the chairs on fire, causing serious damage to felt and timber on the roof. The contents of the garage were not damaged.

Firefighters managed to put out the blaze, which was reported just after 7pm last night, before it spread to the main school building next door.

The flames were spotted by pedestrians walking along Smithills Dean Road.

Sub officer Ian Medcalfe from Bolton Central fire station said: "Fortunately, it wasn't close enough to the school to cause any damage but had we not caught it in time the contents of the garage, which included goal posts, would have been destroyed.

"I can't understand why children would go to the trouble of breaking into the school then carry the chairs right across the playground before piling them up on the store room."

He added: "It seems pointless but at least they did not set fire to the actual school building."

The attack comes just weeks after youths vandalised 150 windows at George Tomlinson School in Farnworth, leaving a repair bill of between £5,000 and £10,000.

There school governors have decided to fork out £15,000 on a CCTV security system following a spate of vandalism and the theft of several computers.

Police are investigating the attacks on both schools and anyone with information should ring 0161 872 5050.