A CLASSROOM was wrecked by fire after a stolen car was rammed into the building and set alight. The stolen Metro was smashed into the front of the Twelve Apostles RC junior and infant school in Nel Pan Lane, Leigh, and driven through two classrooms. Firefighters using breathing apparatus went into the school and tackled the blaze from behind to stop it spreading and force it back. They stayed at the scene through the early hours today pumping smoke out of the building with a ventilator and cleaning up. Furniture, storage cabinets and children's schoolwork were all wrecked in the fire. Four people were arrested in the area shortly after the fire, which was spotted at about 11.15pm last night. Two local teenagers were still being interviewed in connection with the incident earlier today. The school will be shut today and tomorrow while staff clear up and assess the cost of the damage.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.