Community rallies after arson attack destroys PE equipment shed at Billinghay School

Police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident at Billinghay CE primary school on Fen Road in the village overnight (Tuesday/Wednesday) when the shed storing all the school’s PE equipment and spare desks was torched, leaving nothing but twisted metal.

Officers are treating it as arson and anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference 21000056694.

Commenting on the police social media appeal, one resident said a neighbour had called the fire service at 3.30am but think the fire may have begun around 2.40am. She said: “They heard a massive bang at 3.20am and then called the fire department and they came out straight away and had to cut the locks at the school to get into the grounds.”

Luckily the shed is well away from the rest of the school and so the fire did not spread further.

Billinghay School headteacher Richard Allen said they have not had any problems with vandalism for many years, they only knew when the caretaker arrived at 6.30am this morning having seen something on social media. He said: “It is utterly saddening that somebody would do such a thing - in these times especially. It is our children who are going to lose out.

“They have lost all their PE equipment including football posts, tennis posts and benches for gymnastics. There were some pupil desks as well and just twisted metal is left.

“I have never experienced anything like this before.”

However, Mr Allen and the school have been heartened by the community’s immediate response, with lots of offers of help and support, as he explained they were covered by insurance but it will take time to sort out.

He said: “Carre’s Outreach, that support us with school sports lessons, are going to look into lending us some equipment.

“One of the local pubs has offered money, as their children come to the school and the Friends of the School have set up a donation page which has raised £185 in an hour.”

Parents have offered to help lay a new concrete base for a replacement shed and there has been an offer of temporary storage too.

Mr Allen said: “It has been incredibly heartening and heartwarming with the response to such a horrific thing for our children - the community has pulled together.”

His next step will be to do an inventory of everything lost in the blaze to submit for the local authority insurers, but he expected it will take weeks to get things cleared and replaced.

“We have things we can do in the short term,” he said. “Thankfully, at the moment, we don’t have all the children in school. If we had them all in we would struggle,” he said, adding that they will probably rely on physical activities that do not need equipment at first and Carre’s Outreach do online sessions too.

The Friends of Billinghay CE Primary School have set up a Go Fund Me page here adding: “This fire directly impacts on the welfare of our children. Thankfully at this time the majority of our children are not in school, but none the less it is saddening.

“If anyone would like to make any offers of help or assistance we are happy to liaise with school on your behalf or you can contact the school directly. Obviously there will be insurance, but as many know this takes time.

“Any offers of equipment, storage solutions, help in anyway, donations or funds would be gratefully received. School are trying to arrange PE equipment, but storage is an issue, anything temporary would be of help.”