Second Derby primary school destroyed by fire in 48 hours

A second school in Derby has been destroyed by a fire, just 48 hours after firefighters extinguished the first one.

The CCTV footage shows a person, who officers want to speak to in connection with the blaze, walking towards Ravensdale Infant School and then appearing to run away on the morning of the fire.

Police are urging anybody who recognises this man to come forward.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service and Derbyshire Police were called to Ravensdale Infant and Nursery School in Mickleover in the early hours of Monday morning (5 October).

It is the 2nd large-scale fire at a Derby school in 2 days after St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy in Darley Abbey was damaged in a blaze on Saturday (3 October).

Large parts of the primary school, in Devonshire Drive, were ablaze and residents were urged to protect themselves from smoke by keeping their windows and doors closed.

Derbyshire Police says it's too early to make any links between the two fires, but is urging people with any information about either fire to come forward and help with enquiries.

The headteacher of the school, Lorna Blancenot said she was "devastated" and "in shock".

In a statement she said: "I was here at 2am and I've been here since then. We notified all the parents of the infant school and the junior school at 5.30am."

"This is an authority school so we will be in touch with the local authority and we will work with them to co-ordinate a plan to support the children here. We have no idea what caused it at the moment."

12 fire engines and two aerial ladder platforms from across Derbyshire attended the fire. Credit: BPM Media

75 firefighters tackled the fire, including those from crews from as far afield as Chesterfield and Clay Cross.

Most of Ravensdale Junior School has been unaffected by the fire but the majority of the primary school is completely ruined.

There were no reported casualties.

Following the fires, Derbyshire's Chief Fire Officer Gavin Tomlinson is now calling on the government to take action and ensure that all new build schools to have sprinklers fitted.

The fire at Ravensdale Infant and Nursery School is the third school fire the force has attended since May, with 5 more affected by fire since April 2019.

CFO Tomlinson stresses that the effect of losing a school, especially just as they're starting to recover from Covid-19, is "unacceptable" when there are measures that can prevent it.