Highfield Priory School fire: Court date for four teenage boys charged with £700,000 arson

By Catherine Musgrove
Published 5th May 2023, 12:30 BST
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Four teenage boys accused of starting a fire which caused £700,000 to a private school will have their case reviewed in court next month.

The boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are all from Preston. Three are aged 15 and one is aged 14,

They have been remanded on conditional bail until 9.45am on June 6, when a case management hearing will take place at Preston Magistrates’ Court.

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The boys are not expected to appear in court, but have been told not to associate with one another or to enter Highfield Priory School.

Highfield Priory School in Fulwood need not have to close but its nursery pupils were relocatedHighfield Priory School in Fulwood need not have to close but its nursery pupils were relocated
Highfield Priory School in Fulwood need not have to close but its nursery pupils were relocated

What happened?

A fire tore through the nursery at Highfield Priory School shortly before 7pm on Saturday October 15, 2022.

Six fire engines and Lancashire’s aerial ladder platform battling the blaze overnight, with crews remaining at the scene into the next morning. Fire chiefs later reported their suspicions to police and an investigation was launched.

The four teenagers appeared at Preston Magistrates’ Court, sitting as a youth court, on March 28.

The roof of Highfield Priory School in Fulwood was severely damaged by the fireThe roof of Highfield Priory School in Fulwood was severely damaged by the fire
The roof of Highfield Priory School in Fulwood was severely damaged by the fire

The damage

The damage is said to be £700,000.

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Pictures of firefighters at the scene show the nursery building gutted by the flames which tore through it during the night. The roof had partially collapsed and will need to be rebuilt, while fire damage inside the nursery was believed to be severe.

The school

Highfield Priory School has been rated as one of the top five independent prep schools in England by the Sunday Times, and the best in the North West. The school charges parents £8,705 per year - which equates to £2,950 per term.