FIRERAISERS came just inches from destroying a school in an arson attack.

They set fire to the hall of St Michael's RC Primary School - miraculously, the blaze was smothered minutes before it would have ripped through the building.

"If the fire had gone through the doors, it would have spread through the roof and we would have lost the whole school," said headteacher Terenia Gosney, as she surveyed more than £40,000 worth of damage.

"It is terrible but it could have been a lot worse."

Kitchen staff and cleaners worked over Easter so pupils could resume lessons on Monday.

"The hall is the hub of the school, we use it for lunches, PE, assemblies and drama," said Mrs Gosney. "If there is no structural damage, it could take eight weeks to repair."

Vandals smashed a window of the Ditton school and hurled an ignited missile, setting fire to curtains, at 4.45pm, last Tuesday.

The wooden floor and rubber PE mats were engulfed in flames.

Fire chief assistant divisional officer Paul MacGugan, said: "Curtains and rubber mats really speeded up the combustion process. If it had gone through the double doors and got a grip on the corridor, you could well have been looking at the loss of the school."

He praised neighbours for raising the alarm so swiftly.

"It is very good that the alarm was raised so quickly," he said. "Thankfully, crews were only a couple of minutes away."

Detectives are examining CCTV cameras and are anxious to hear from anyone who may have witnessed two teenage boys seen acting suspiciously.

The first is white, 14-15 years old, of slim build, wearing a dark grey hooded top and grey baseball cap, with dark blue tracksuit bottoms.

The second is white, of similar age, a chubbier build with short brown hair and navy blue clothing.

The driver of a white transit van who stopped at the scene may be able to provide vital information.

Call Det Con Lorna Corran on 01244-613732.