AN East Lancashire MP is calling for sprinklers to be fitted in all new schools.

Gordon Prentice, who represents Pendle, made his call following a house fire killed three young sisters in Hapton earlier this year.

It also comes after a House of Commons committee unearthed statistics showing more than 2,000 schools are damaged in blazes every year.

About 70 per cent of these are thought to be started deliberately.

The Labour backbencher said: "By 2001, school fires were costing us nearly £100million. This could have built us 45 new primary schools or employed an extra 3,750 teachers.

"In addition, the knock-on effect of disruption in the education of pupils is considerable.

"There is also the danger to the lives of pupils and staff as, worryingly, nearly a third of all arson fires occur when pupils are in school.

"It does seem a very common sense idea to ensure that sprinklers are fitted in all new school buildings and the savings in repairs due to fire damage would save the taxpayers and enormous amount of money.

"I hope such a requirement will be introduced in the near future."