Arsonists have destroyed a Colchester school's religious education department.

As firemen checked the charred debris, the school said lessons will still go ahead next week.

A prefabricated classroom building at Philip Morant School in Rembrandt Way, Prettygate, was reduced to a smoking pile of ash by the fire, started in the early hours of this morning (Friday).

Paul Harrison, the school's director of finance and administration, said he was saddened by the incident but that RE lessons would be taught in other rooms.

He said: "I'm just saddened really by the situation but obviously we won't let it affect the teaching and learning next week. We'll make sure that when the kids arrive back, lessons will go on as normal."

He said there was teaching equipment including televisions and computers in the two joined classrooms and the head of RE's teaching notes were probably burnt in the fire.

Station officer Dave Bridgman, of Colchester fire station, said: "We received a call at 3.37am from a man driving past who saw a large plume of smoke.

"When we got there, there was no way we were going to be able to save it. It was just a question of surrounding it and making sure it did not spread to other buildings.

"Because of the large amount of wood and high winds which ripped through the fire, it was completely destroyed, burnt down to its foundations.

"There will be a fire brigade investigation into the cause today (Friday) but we are definitely treating it as malicious ignition."

A washroom at the school was barricaded shut with taps running and benches in the main quadrangle were turned upside down during the night.

Police are viewing CCTV footage to catch those responsible.

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