VANDALS have been blasted for putting lives at risk, after torching disused school buildings.
About 30 firefighters were called to the blaze at the Billingham Campus School, on Teesside, on Monday night, and were at the scene for three hours.
Dave Kelly, watch manager with Cleveland Fire Brigade, at Billingham, said: "It was deliberate, unnecessary ignition and tied down resources which could have been needed elsewhere if there had been persons trapped, resulting in a fire death.'' Fire crews arrived at the campus to find fire had taken hold of an old classroom block in the process of being demolished.
Mr Kelly said the fact that the burning building was being demolished put fire fighters' lives at risk.
"Flames were coming out through the roof and the windows. It had taken hold of a half demolished building, so you can imagine, the state, the condition, the building was in,'' he added.
Cleveland Police said scenes of crimes officers would be sifting through the debris today, to investigate how the fire was started.
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