Derbyshire infant school blaze treated as arson

A severe fire at an infant school in Derbyshire is being treated as arson just two days after a school four miles away was razed.

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service was called to Ravensdale Infant School in Mickleover at 1.38am on Monday.

It was the second blaze in the area in three days after a fire at St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Darley Abbey on Saturday. The fire service said the Ravensdale blaze caused “extensive damage” to the building.

Derbyshire Police said a link between the two incidents had “not been ruled out”. According to Superintendent Sarah Mcaughtrie, the fire was set “deliberately”.