Sprinkler plan for county schools

School fires have caused £500,000 damage in five years

All new schools in Leicestershire are to have sprinklers fitted in an attempt to reduce damage from arson attacks.

The county council is considering whether older schools should also have sprinkler systems.

Over the past five years there have been 20 attacks on county schools, with damage estimated at £500,000.

Council spokesman Bob Dutton said arson attacks caused "considerable distress" especially to children if they have course work destroyed.

At risk

Two years ago William Bradford Community College in Earl Shilton suffered £170,000 damage in an arson attack.

Principal Betty Hasler said the college was more at risk because it was open throughout the evening as well as during the day.

"We don't want to close our campus. We want to make sure it's open to the community but of course that means we're open to abuse."

She said she was accountable for the security of the building and the site, adding that any measures to prevent arson would be helpful.

Mr Dutton said sprinklers "wouldn't necessarily prevent arson but would perhaps prevent the outcome of arson.

"Examinations are becoming increasingly modular and children get credit for cumulative work which they've done over one or two years.

"To find all that destroyed in a fire can be devastating for a young person."