FIRE officers investigating a blaze at a Chepstow primary school have passed the matter to the police.

The infants building of Thornwell Primary School was destroyed by a fire which broke out in the early hours of Friday morning.

Fire investigation officers spent the weekend examining the site and yesterday passed their findings on to the police.

The blaze which burned for more than four hours destroyed three classrooms, the nursery unit and the infant hall.

A Monmouthshire council spokesman said school staff and council officers were working hard to ensure the school would re-open this week.

The school will be shut today, but junior classes will resume tomorrow.

Some of the infant classes will be held as usual from Tuesday, but pupils in the classes of Mrs Tovey, Mrs Hutchinson, Mrs Williams and Mrs Leigh will not be able to return until June 13, while temporary accommodation is brought in Cllr Liz Hacket Pain, Monmouthshire’s cabinet member for children, young people and learning, said: “I’m shocked and saddened by the fire at Thornwell Primary School in Chepstow, but am relieved that nobody was hurt. It’s an awful thing to happen within the community.”

She added that the council intended to repair what damage they can and replace the lost buildings.

Cllr Hacket Pain said: “A school is far more than bricks and mortar. The hard work and aspirations of the children and their teachers were contained in that building and so much of that has now gone up in smoke.

“We will build on the great work that has gone before to find new ways and places to teach the children while the damage is repaired.”

Gwent Police was unavailable to comment yesterday.