Boy, 11, held after school blaze

An 11-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of arson today after a major blaze at a school in the UK.

West Midlands Police said the youngster was detained in the early hours after last night’s fire at Elston Hall Primary in Fordhouses, Wolverhampton.

Around 40 firefighters from across the Black Country were drafted in to extinguish the fire, which was discovered after reports of a break-in.

A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service, which sent eight fire engines to the scene, said prompt action by crews wearing breathing apparatus had stopped the “rapidly-developing” blaze from spreading to the remainder of the building.

No-one was injured in the fire, which severely damaged the school’s roof.