Callous arsonists torch shed full of school toys
9:51am Thursday 1st May 2008
ARSONISTS torched a shed full of toys at a school for children with special needs.
Staff at Limington House School, in Basingstoke, smelled smoke when they were locking up after a Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) meeting on Tuesday night.
They then discovered that a metal shed, where the youngsters' toys were stored, was ablaze.
Petra Smillie, headteacher at the school in St Andrews Road, South Ham, said: "We were lucky that we were on site before damage was done elsewhere, as the shed is near a pre-fab resource hut we have.
"The toys are all destroyed. We think they set fire to the prams first, which set off all the plastic toys - it's just a mess and it's all going to have to go."
She added that over the weekend, a group of youths had been making a mess and breaking plant pots in the school grounds.
The gang had been seen on school grounds a couple of times earlier on Tuesday evening, and had been verbally abusive when asked to leave.
Firefighters from Basingstoke fire station were called to the site at 9.10pm, and took about 15 minutes to put out the flames.
However, the shed, about four square metres in size, had to be demolished and the school estimates it will cost more than £1,100 to replace the facility.
John Amos, watch manager at Basingstoke fire station, believes there is a connection between the fire and the group of youths who had been asked to leave.
He said: "The incident is being treated as suspicious and the investigation has now been handed over to Hampshire Constabulary."