EQUIPMENT destroyed in a school fire has been replaced thanks to the generosity of local Freemasons.

They donated £4,000 to Red Lane Primary School to replace items which were not insured.

The organisation is the latest to offer help to the school following the devastating fire.

Concord Lodge, based at Radcliffe Masonic Hall, offered a cash grant after reading about the arson attack on the Breightmet school.

The fire destroyed the nursery and reception classrooms together with a dining hall in late October.

After learning that costumes, PE kits and other items bought through funds raised by children and parents were not insured, charity steward of Concord Lodge Gordon Fielding asked for a list and costs of items needing replacing.

The blaze broke out on a Sunday afternoon, during the October half term break, and caused extensive damage, making parts of the building completely unusable.

Mr Fielding applied to East Lancashire Masonic Charity for a grant and received £3,500 which was topped up with a donation of £500 from Concord Lodge.

Chris Eccles, the Bury District Charity Steward, presented the cheques to the school head teacher Rhian Driver and Lisa Whittaker, executive headteacher.

A spokesman for Concord Lodge said: “The presentation was made at a school assembly when Chris was able to explain to the children where the money had come from and what it was for.

“Both Lisa and Rhian expressed their sincere appreciation to Gordon Fielding for his initial approach after reading the report of their distress in this newspaper, and to the generosity of local Freemasons who had made possible the replacement of the damaged equipment.”

Since the fire, people have rallied round to support the school, which has been ensuring that children’s education is not disrupted.

Books, toys, clothes and equipment have been donated to the school.