EDUCATION officials and the head of a Horwich school will meet today to discuss its future after a third major arson attack in under a year.

On Friday night an arsonist started a blaze in a newly rebuilt classroom at Lever Park special school on Stocks Park Drive.

The fire spread through the roof space to the rest of the building, causing over £100,000 of damage to the school, which caters for 50 children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Worst damage was caused to an art room which was nearly finished by builders and due to be handed back to the school in two weeks time following a previous fire. Headteacher John Young said today that staff are upset by the latest attack.

"A lot of effort is put into these things and for them to be needlessly destroyed is disheartening," said Mr Young.

The school is closed to pupils today while the damage is assessed and a meeting of education officials this afternoon will decide if it can open at all this week.

High on the agenda will also be security provision at the school.

"We need to look at how we can make the site more secure," said Mr Young.

He added that the constant disruption due to deliberate damage to the school has an adverse affect on the pupils' education.

"Bearing in mind the problems that the youngsters have they need stability and continuity," said Mr Young.

Thirteen pupils had been placed at other schools while previous damage was repaired and were due to return next term, but now they are likely to have to stay away longer.

Mr Terry Piggott, Bolton's deputy director of education said the first priority is the immediate future of the pupils before any decision is taken about the future of the school.

"We need to assess the extent of the damage and what alternatives need to be put in place both in the short term and long term," he said.

But he stressed that even improving security at the existing building would have cost implications.

"There is no such thing as complete security if people are determined to commit arson," he added.

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