Arson-hit Wilkinson Primary School burgled for metal

Burglars broke into a Wolverhampton school which was destroyed by fire several weeks ago, escaping with copper piping and four storage heaters from the nursery building, police revealed today.

Wilkinson Primary School in Walter Road, Bilston, was targeted in the raid at the weekend.

Two teenagers aged 15 and 18 have been arrested and released on bail pending further inquiries. Officers were called to reports of a break-in at the school at 1pm on Sunday.

Pupils only returned to the site of the fire-hit school yesterday after a month taking lessons in the grounds of a church.

All 335 pupils are now being taught in 14 temporary classrooms. They will remain in place for the next 15 months, at a cost of £300,000 which is being met by insurers.

Temporary classrooms were set up at St Martin's Church, in Slater Street, while the units were installed at the school.

The rebuild of the school, which was burned to the ground by arsonists last month, is expected to cost more than £6 million.

Headteacher Tina Gibbon revealed pupils said: "We have got 14 classrooms and an office.

"All the furniture has been donated from schools around the city. We are set up with borrowed and begged things from everywhere, and we had to order our own resources such as pencils and other stationery.

"Everything is going through our insurers — the latest figure I have is £300,000 for the classrooms."

Wolverhampton South East Labour MP Pat McFadden said: "The return of the pupils is an important step forward. Everyone in the local area has pulled together in a great way to respond to the fire.

"It's hard to believe the evil that could motivate someone to burn down a school but the response has shown how determined the community in Bradley is not to be defeated by what happened."

At the weekend, children from the school were given a festive treat by flicking the switch to the town's Christmas lights.

They hit the switch at Bilston Town Hall alongside Wolverhampton mayor Malcolm Gwinnett to light up the surrounding streets and a giant Christmas tree on Saturday night.

Earlier this month Councillor Bert Turner, chairman of governors at Wilkinson, revealed the expected cost and timescale of the rebuild.

Fifteen fire crews put out the blaze at the school at 9.45pm on October 11. Less than three hours earlier at 7pm crews had been called to a separate arson attack at the old Willingsworth High School, Tipton, where disused buildings were destroyed.