ARSONISTS smashed their way into an Accrington high school and started a blaze that damaged several rooms.

An office in the Queens Road West annex of Moorhead High School was broken into at about 7pm yesterday.

Station officer Chris Hollis believe the vandals set light to paper and curtains. Accrington firefighters spent half an hour putting out the blaze.

The office was severely damaged and two corridors and two classrooms were also smoke damaged.

A spokeswoman for the school said it was open to all pupils as usual today.

Moorhead High School was the target of arsonists twice two years ago, when petrol bombs were pushed into a classroom, and was also set ablaze by vandals in 1997.

Station officer Hollis has appealed for anyone who knows who started the recent fire to call the crime hotline in confidence on 0800 555 111.