Arson attack at old York school - Manhunt underway - 6.25pm UPDATE

The blaze was in a two-storey building on the old Manor CE site in Boroughbridge Road. Part of the site is used by the Muddy Boots nursery, and staff are currently contacting parents.

The nursery has 125 pupils, and around 40 of them were due to attend today.

The blaze was first reported at 1.43am and at its height there were five fire crews tackling the flames.

The fire is now out but one crew remains at the scene and a fire investigation officer will begin assessing the cause shortly.

Picture: Faye Morrallee 

Witness Faye Morrallee told The Press: "I heard crackling at about 1.40am, which woke me up. I thought it was raining, listened a bit longer and realised it was the sound of fire, looked out of my window and saw the building on fire, called 999 and the fire brigade were here within minutes!

"It's a pretty scary thing to wake up to see, especially when it's my old school."

The damaged building. Picture: Faye Morrallee 

Mark Hogan from City of York Council said the building had been broken into several times over the past four weeks, but this was the first serious damage.

He said "Someone has ripped open the door at the side of the playing field, got into the building, gone up to the first floor, and set fire to one of the rooms up there."

He said he was contacted by police at 3.15am and said the damage to the building is fairly intense.

Alan Bell, fire investigation officer said that crews from Acomb, York and as far as Selby were called to the scene including an aerial ladder platform - a total of six appliances.

He said: "The fire was on the first floor and had already gone through the roof by the time the first crew had arrived.

"They managed to contain it to approximately two or three classrooms where it appears the fire was started."

Officer Bell, pictured above, said the site is being treated as a crime scene and the fire is believed to have been started deliberately.

North Yorkshire Police have arrived at the scene.

Officer Bell said: "There is eveidence of what appears to be forced entry on the ground floor level which is why it's being treated as deliberate.

"Significant damage has been caused but it's not beyond repair."

He said crews had searched the building in case anyone had been sleeping rough at the former school, but nobody had been found. He also said crews had concerns about asbestos at the site, which could hamper the investigation.

Nearby residents Brian and Barbara Cottingham said their three children had attended the school, and they believed the recent vandalism could mean the end for the school building - which has been part empty for several years.

Mr Cottingham said: "There has been vandalism, I've seen some of the windows that have been put through and they've been boarded up. There have been no real problems until we saw the door board ripped off a couple of days ago. It was an excellent school.

"It's disappointing to see the building not being used to its full extent. I think the fire is the final nail in the coffin for the building, sadly. It's the end of an era."

Alison Foster, of Muddy Boots Nursery said in a Facebook message to parents: "Unfortunately we have had an incident overnight involving a fire in the building.

"Although not directly in the nursery, it has caused quite a lot of damage to some of the nursery rooms mainly due to flooding, therefore we have had to close nursery until the weekend. We are working around the clock to hopefully open again on Monday morning.

"We are so sincerely sorry for the inconvenience to parents - closing the nursery is our absolute last resort but of course we have to put the safety of the children first.

"We will shortly be phoning, texting and emailing all parents with children due to attend today and tomorrow to hopefully explain more. The landline is currently out of action and so if you need to get hold of us, please call 07794 426 075. As always, many thanks for your continued support, we will get nursery safe and sound again as quick as we can."

Andy Nimmo, co-owner of the nursery, told The Press the city council phoned him at 3am to tell him about the fire. He and staff have been on the scene for hours.

He said: "Just on the ground floor, it's only water damage. A few of the rooms have suffered water damage and some of the ceiling tiles have come down, but it seems nothing too serious."

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police, said: "We are treating the incident at as arson and an investigation ongoing.

"Anyone with any information about the fire is asked to call police on 101 and pass information to the Force Control Room quoting incident number 12150023653."

Did you see the fire? Email your comments and pictures to newsdesk@thepress.co.uk