A FIRE boss has praised Bolton's education bosses for their policy of installing sprinkler systems in new and existing schools.

County Fire Officer Barry Dixon said Bolton's local education authority was proactive and he welcomed the steps towards safety for schools. Mr Dixon also praised Manchester, Salford, Oldham, Trafford and Stockport. There are 2,551 educational establishments in Greater Manchester. Figures show that during a three-year period from January 2000, over 460 fires occurred at schools in the county.

In Bolton there were 12 fires from April 1, 2001, to March 21, 2002.

Mr Dixon said sprinklers were an extremely effective way of preventing the spread of fire. He said they took up little space, were easily concealed and were unobtrusive.

The effectiveness of installing sprinklers was highlighted in 2001, when two Greater Manchester schools became targets of arson attacks.

One of the schools had a sprinkler system installed and in both cases, the Fire Service attended the scene in minutes. The fire at the school fitted with a sprinkler system was quickly extinguished and required no further fire fighting.

The school without one suffered extensive damage and was ultimately demolished.

Greater Manchester's County Fire Officer, Barry Dixon said: "I am encouraged by the decision of a number of local authorities in the County who now plan to install sprinkler systems in new and existing local schools.

"We continue to do our utmost to educate local communities on fire prevention and reducing arson.

"When fires do occur in schools without sprinkler systems the disruption resulting from fire damage is enormously unsettling for children and the community as a whole, not to mention the financial, educational and administrative costs. In the interests of pupil, staff and firefighter safety, we will continue to push for sprinkler systems to be installed in schools throughout the whole of the county."