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Pontefract school blaze arrest
POLICE investigating a massive blaze at a school in Pontefract have today arrested a 15-year-old local youth on supspicion or arson.
The fire early on Saturday tore through Carleton Community High School on Green Lane in Pontefract.
Around 150 fire fighters and 25 fire engines tackled the blaze at the 970-pupil school which damaged the library, drama studio, gym, reception and administration block and 120 computers in the IT suite.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police this morning told the YEP that a local youth had been arrested on suspicion of arson and released on bail pending further enquiries.
It is unclear at this stage how old the youth is.
TO SEE FOOTAGE OF THE BLAZE, CLICK HERE.
Rob Foreman, headteacher said: "This was a very serious fire and clearly a big blow to the school. We are meeting today to assess how quickly we can get services re-connected to the parts of the school not damaged by the fire and how quickly we can re-open.
"We are meeting structural engineers, council officers and other specialists. We will not be in a position to say when the school will re-open until we have had those meetings.
"Students who are taking modular GCSE examinations in science and mathematics in three weeks' time will be having lessons at Carlton Grange Community Centre this week and we will be contacting those students individually to inform them of the arrangements.
"I will also be arranging a parents' forum in the community so that parents can come along and get information direct. I will be publicising the date as soon as the meeting has been arranged. In the meantime, we will be updating our school website with information for parents and for students.
We are grateful to West Yorkshire Fire Service for saving our key teaching areas. The fire destroyed the administration block, main hall, IT and catering facilities and the drama hall."
Carlton Community High, which has 970 students aged from 11 to 16, already had inset days planned for Monday and Tuesday and is now closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, taking it up to the half-term break which starts on Friday, October 24, across the Wakefield district.
Elaine McHale, Corporate Director for Family Services at Wakefield Council, was visiting the school today.
She said: "We are working with the school to make it re-opens as soon as possible. Thankfully, the fire happened at a time when there were no students in the building, otherwise the consequences might have been far worse.
"We are working with West Yorkshire Fire Service and police to determine the cause of the fire."
Council Leader Coun Peter Box, also at the school today, said: "We are doing everything we can to make sure the education of young people at this school continues with the least possible disruption.
"I am also very grateful to everyone who turned out over the weekend to help the school recover from this devastating fire – emergency services, property services, councillors and council officers. There is a real team effort here which I am sure is helping the Carlton school community to get back on its feet."
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
