FIREBUGS set abandoned furniture alight inside a derelict former school that has become a playground for vandals.

The arsonists broke in to the former Top o' th' Brow Primary School building off Greenroyd Avenue in Breightmet.

A fire crew from Bolton North Fire Station was called out at around 9pm yesterday and spent 45 minutes on site putting out the blaze and ensuring no-one was in danger.

Watch manager Ian Tattersall said: "The school has been trashed completely.

"Kids are getting in there through a number of entry points.

"It's a playground for them. They set a fire and do a runner.

"It was just some furniture in a classroom that had been set alight last night."

He said Bolton Council is planning to demolish the building and it is understood the authority is looking to appoint a firm to carry out the work.

Mr Tattersall said: "Our watch has been up there a couple of times before.

"There's lots of broken glass and lots of holes in the roof to fall through so whenever we go up there we have to carry out a search to make sure nobody has fallen down and is trapped."

Top o' th' Brow Primary School merged with Withins School to form Bolton St Catherine's Academy in 2009.

Three years later the academy relocated from the two old school sites into a single purpose-built complex in nearby Stitch-Mi-Lane in Breightmet.

A council spokeswoman said: "We have made every effort to secure the site but it has been plagued by vandals.

"As a former school building we have applied to the Secretary of State for approval to demolish the building and dispose of the site, and are still awaiting their consent to proceed.  

"In the meantime we are preparing plans to demolish the building as soon as approval to do so has been agreed.”