THE destruction of a 128-year-old school building which was wrecked by fire is under way.

Cranes were in position at the fenced-off former home of Clarendon Primary School in Great Lever yesterday morning.

Part of the damaged roof was removed as well as the upper parts of the exterior walls.

The Victorian school building, which was built in 1886, was badly damaged in a huge blaze which started at about 6pm on July 21.

A fire investigation team was unable to establish the cause of the blaze, with the possibility of an arson attack not ruled out.

It emerged that police had attended the derelict building on Sunday, July 20, to reports that children had broken some windows.

Police advised Bolton Council that the ground floor of the school should be boarded up less than 24 hours before it went up in flames.

Clarendon School vacated the building in April to move into new facilities across the road in Heywood Park.