A FIRE that destroyed a Chepstow infants school last Friday was started deliberately, fire investigators confirmed yesterday.

A spokeswoman for the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze at Thornwell Primary School, Bulwark, was arson committed by a person or persons as yet unknown.

Police investigating the attack arrested two local teenagers aged 17 and 19 but they were later released with no further action.

It is believed the blaze, which gutted the nursery building, including three classrooms, a hall and the nursery unit, started in the school grounds and spread to the main building. The junior block was not affected. All junior school pupils and some infants pupils returned to the school yesterday, with the rest expected to be taught in temporary accommodation at the site from Monday.

The Little Acorns playgroup, which occupied a demountable building on the site, has relocated to the Burnt Barn Social Club and should be able to welcome youngsters back from Monday.

It took 40 firefighters four hours to get the 40-foot flames that ravaged the building under control from around 1am. No-one was injured.

Police officers cordoned off both ends of the road as firefighters continued to damp down the smouldering building for most of Friday.

A bulldozer moved onto the site later in the day to knock down the burnt-out shell and make the area safe.

Police reissued their appeal for information yesterday, asking anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area at the time of the fire to contact them on 01633 838111.

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Arson a disgrace

IT MAY come as no surprise that the fire which destroyed a Chepstow infants school was started deliberately.

Thornwell Primary School, in Bulwark, was wrecked by the attack last week. An entire school went up in smoke, along with all the children’s work and their memories.

It looks as though the blaze, which gutted the nursery building, including three classrooms, a hall and the nursery unit, started in the school grounds and spread to the main building.

It took 40 firefighters four hours to get the fire under control.

This was an utterly shocking and mindless attack that has affected hundreds of people in a community.

We believe someone will have information that could lead to identifying the person or persons who started this. And we urge anyone with information to go to the police.

Whoever is responsible must feel the full weight of the law.