11/08/2016

Fire At L'Derry Primary School Being Treated As Suspicious

A fire at a L'Derry primary school is believed to have been started deliberately.

The fire at the Good Shepherd Primary School, in the Waterside area of the city, was reported shortly before 8pm on Wednesay night, 10 August.

A number of units from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) attended the scene, with up to 30 firefighters tackling the blaze at its height.

It is understood the fire started in a shed next to the main school building before spreading to the roof.

NIFRS Group Commander, Colm McGuigan, said it had been lucky that the fire was discovered early, and that a lot more damage could have been caused to the school.

Education Minister, Peter Weir, said: "Any attack to a school property is damaging for the young people and indeed the staff of that school. There are only a few short weeks left of the summer break and I am sure families are already preparing for the new school term.

"Staff in my Department, the Education Authority and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) will work together to ensure that the new school term will start with the minimum of disruption."

(MH/JP)

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