A CATASTROPHIC blaze this lunchtime threatened the future of one of the region's historic buildings - comic Stan Laurel's old school in Bishop Auckland, County Durham.
Young arsonists could have started the fire which destroyed the Laurel Building at the old Bishop Auckland Grammar School where the tousled haired clown was a pupil in 1902.
The Grade II listed treasure had been empty since 2000 and could now have to be demolished.
The roof and spire collapsed and most of the upper floor was destroyed, along with 20 per cent of the ground floor.
There was no threat to the present school King James I Community Arts College 200 years away where the 800 pupils continued with their lessons.
At the end of the school day, with South Church Road blocked off to traffic, staff escorted them to buses waiting at the Asda car park nearby.
Head teacher Steve Rodchester said: "The fire was in a building which no longer belongs to the school and is situated away from the current school buildings.
"The emergency services kept us up to date on developments and at no point was there any risk to the safety of pupils and staff while lessons continued as normal."
People living near the building said they had seen youngsters going in before the blaze started.
Police interviewed several witnesses yesterday and will continue their investigation tomorrow morning. They want to talk to anyone who was in the area around 12 noon.
Steve Owers, fire district manager and a former King James pupil led the fight to save his old classrooms.
He said: "When we got here there were reports that some young people had been seen going into the building, but it is too early to know exactly how the fire started.
"Because the windows were boarded up, there was an oven effect and the fire spread rapidly between the ground and first floor and into the roof.
"It is a shame. It was my old school 38 years ago and I could still recognise the old art room upstairs and the science labs. It is a lovely building."
Dr Bob McManners, chairman of Bishop Auckland Civic Society, hopes the building can be saved.
He said: "It would be very sad to lose it. We had been interested in finding a use for the building and hope that this can still happen."
Anyone with information about the fire should telephone Bishop Auckland CID on 0845-60-60-365.
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