ARSONISTS set fire to a nursery school on Sunday afternoon.

They smashed a window and climbed into Hollyhouse Day Nursery, in Mayfield Avenue, Walkden.

The blaze triggered the burglar alarm. Firefighters were called by the police at 1.30pm as the fire swept through a corridor and threatened to engulf the whole building.

A corridor, two classrooms and toilets were destroyed and the building was severely smoke damaged. Firefighters were at the scene for two hours while they dampened down the blaze. A pet rabbit, which was in its hutch, was killed in the fire.

Station officer Bill Edwards said: "It was a pointless attack which is going to cause a lot of distress for the parents, children and teachers at the nursery. It was heartbreaking to see all the pictures on the wall which had been painted by the kids being destroyed. We tried to reach the rabbit, but we were unable to save it.

"When we got there the fire was spreading to the rest of the building but we managed to contain it. If it had not been for the police who contacted us quickly the whole building would have been destroyed."