A COUNTY Durham school has opened its doors again, almost four years after a blaze ripped through the building causing extensive damages and disruption.

Tanfield Comprehensive School, near Stanley, has undergone a £400,000 facelift in the wake of the blaze in May 1998, which left a four-storey teaching block unusable.

The block has since been demolished.

Temporary classrooms were brought in and both staff and pupils endured years of disruption.

But all that will come to an end when local county councillor Edna Hunter officially opens the new-look school today.

The fire gave Durham Local Education Authority (LEA) the opportunity to carry out a wider range of repair and maintenance work at the school, using funds from the New Deal for Schools initiative. Capital funds and fire insurance money were also used to carry out improvements to the school, parts of which date back to 1912.

Developments include the construction of a new science and administration block incorporating up-to-date laboratories and the internal refurbishment of the 1912 block and associated stonework repairs.

The project also included the conversion of the old kitchen and the new art block and new technology textiles and graphics room.

Councillor Hunter said: "There is no doubt the school has undergone a considerable amount of disruption, but now they have first-class facilities to be proud of.

"I fully believe the school will go from strength to strength and will be able to offer quality provision for many years to come."

Headteacher Archie Howat said: "We are now settled back into an environment where we can concentrate on raising the achievements and aspirations of pupils in Derwentside.

"The fire was a real blow to us, but I am absolutely delighted with the final outcome.

"We now have quality facilities and a very positive environment in which our young people can learn," said Mr Howat.