MINIBUSES used to ferry children with disabilities to school have been destroyed in a suspected arson attack.

Police are investigating the blaze at an industrial unit in Emlyn Street, Farnworth, at 5.30am this morning.

Two of Premier Minibuses' fleet of 12 buses were gutted by the fire, and bosses have described the attack as "devastating".

The company has contracts with Bolton and Bury Council, and counts Bolton St Catherine's Academy and Firwood High School among its clients.

A teacher at Elms Bank in Whitefield, the school which uses the buses destroyed, said the actions would have a "massive" knock-on effect for pupils and parents.

Fire crews spent an hour-and-a-half at the unit and managed to contain the damage to just two vehicles.

They said they believed the fire was started deliberately.

The perpetrators appear to have removed a bar from some metal railings to break into the yard before starting the fire.

Nazir Ali, who has run Premier Minibuses with his brother for 16 years, said the resilient firm would "bounce back".

He said: "This is not petty crime, it is affecting people's lives.

"These children now cannot get to school as their parents rely on us.

"I have two drivers who I can't let go - I am still going to pay them - but they are sitting here with no bus to drive.

"It is not a good day.

"We started this business up from scratch and it has been pretty successful. This is such a kick in the teeth.

"We are hoping to replace the vehicles but it will not be easy. They are specialist vehicles."

Mr Ali said Premier Minibuses has used the Farnworth depot for five years and never had a problem.

He added: "We will bounce back from this. We are a well-established company and will recover."

One of the buses destroyed carries three children in wheelchairs, as well as five passengers who suffer from non-physical disabilities such as autism, to school every day.

Mark Foster, deputy head of Elms Bank, a specialist arts college, said: "Unsociable behaviour of this kind has a massive knock-on effect for the students in our school who rely on the transport.

"Some of our parents live on the other side of Bury and simply can't get the children to school of their own accord.

"This means people are having to take days off work or children are missing out on education, which must be avoided at all costs."

A fire service spokesman said: "Just to reassure the public, the fire was contained very quickly and we were there about an hour-and-a-half.

"Quite a lot of smoke was created."

A police spokesman said: "We were called this morning to Emlyn Street at just after 6am.

"Enquiries are ongoing and we will looking at what led up to this fire."

The incident, which is now being investigated by police, is the second in Bolton in just over a week in which criminals targeted buses used by disabled children.

Over the bank holiday weekend, thieves drilled into the fuel tank of buses at Bolton Children's Opportunity Group to steal diesel.