Police launch probe into school blaze

Police are investigating a malicious fire which destroyed the office of a Lothians school.

The blaze, which originated in a pile of rubbish, took hold at Bog Hall Primary, on Elizabeth Drive, Bathgate, at around 11.45pm on Saturday.

It not known at this stage how much it will cost to repair the damage to the school.

It is understood festive goods, which were to be sold at the school’s upcoming Christmas fair, were ruined in the incident.

An appeal was made on Facebook for help replacing the items in time for the event, which is set to take place on Tuesday next week.

The blaze spread from the rubbish, which was piled against a wall, into the ground floor office.

West Lothian’s executive councillor for education, Andrew Miller, said: “This type of mindless vandalism cannot be tolerated.

“It has clearly upset the whole school and the wider community.

“We would encourage anyone who saw anything suspicious late on Saturday night or early Sunday morning to report it to the police.”