School’s out

A thousand pupils had to be evacuated from the Radclyffe Upper School after firebugs set a toilet alight on Friday.

Pupils and teachers at the Hunt Lane site made a hasty exit after the blaze, which started in a gents’ toilet block, triggered the sprinkler system which, in turn, set off the building’s fire alarm.

Fire crews from Oldham and Chadderton were on the scene within minutes of the alarm triggering at around 2pm and spent 45 minutes battling the fire and clearing the water before pupils were allowed to return to their classes.

Fire investigation teams moved in to examine the scene after fire officers established that the fire had been started deliberately.

John Aspinall, station commander at the fire service headquarters in Swinton said: “It was a very small fire which was contained in the one cubicle and more damage was caused by the sprinkler system than the actual blaze.

“It looks like it was started deliberately by someone who set fire to the toilet roll.”

Police are now investigating the incident, which caused £1,000 damage.

Anyone with any information is asked to call 0161 856 8951.