School shuts after classroom fire

Four crews dealt with the blaze at Cowbridge Comprehensive School

Around 400 pupils aged between 11 and 13 were evacuated from a Vale of Glamorgan secondary school following a fire in a temporary classroom.

Lower school pupils at Cowbridge Comprehensive School were moved to the town's leisure centre.

The blaze is thought to have started accidently at around 0826 GMT when the classroom was empty.

Four crews dealt with the blaze which was out by 1030 GMT. The lower school is to stay closed on Friday.

Vale of Glamorgan council officers were being sent to assess the damage, along with South Wales Fire Service.

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Cowbridge school fire footage by Alan Carpenter

Director of learning and development Bryan Jeffreys said: "Around 400 children were safely evacuated from the site, and arrangements made for them to be transferred to the town's leisure centre.

"Parents are being contacted by the school so that the children can be collected but, where this is not possible, they will be looked after by the school and travel home as usual at the end of the school day."

The Lower School, used by Years 7 and 8 pupils, is to remain closed on Friday while the site is made safe.