Firefighters have tonight managed to prevent a Derry primary school being destroyed in a fire.
The fire broke out this evening at Good Shepherd Primary School at Dungiven Road in the Waterside.
The fire started in sheds at the rear of the school but then spread to the main school building.
Several fire crews are now at the scene which has been sealed off.
The extent of the overall damage will not be known until later.
Speaking to derrynow.com at the scene, Fire Service Group Commander Colm McGuigan said they believed the fire was started deliberately.
He said that the blaze spread to the main school building.
“The school is very lucky that we arrived on the scene so quickly,” he said.
The school, of course, is currently closed because of the summer holidays.
Police will now launch an investigation in a bid to apprehend those who started the fire.
Local Sinn Fein councillor Christopher Jackson condemned those responsible.
“It’s very worrying that this fire has taken place just a few weeks before the new school term starts.
“I visited the scene tonight and I would like to commend the work of the Fire Service who dealt with this fire and would appeal to anyone in the community who has any information on how this fire started to bring it forward to the investigations team.”
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