A DISTRAUGHT headteacher today slammed the arsonists who targeted her school for the second time and said: "They've destroyed our little oasis."

The three reception classes in the annexe at vandal-plagued Spring Hill County Primary School, Accrington, were torched when a rag doused in petrol was hurled through a broken window.

It is the second time in two years that the classrooms in Hannah Street have been targeted and fire bosses are investigating a possible link between the blaze and a suspected arson attack at Arnside Nursing Home in nearby Willows Lane just hours later.

Teachers were today trying to work out how and where they are going to teach the 60 four and five-year-olds over the coming weeks.

The fire started at 9pm on Sunday and is expected to cost £30,000 to put right.

The school already has a 6ft metal fence to keep out vandals, who are said by the head to strike "as regular as clockwork."

Arsonists struck at the school two years ago in June and distraught headteacher Stephanie Grimshaw, 45, called the latest blaze 'heartbreaking.'

She said: "My first thought when I got there was: How can I tell the teachers this has happened again?

"We had created a little oasis and it is so heartbreaking to see all the children's beautiful work completely burnt and charred.

"The last arson attack took weeks to put right and we will have to pull together all over again."

Acting deputy head Gillian McManus, said: "Hopefully, we will not have to close because the children's education is too important, but we are all absolutely devastated.

"Everything has been gutted by this stupid attack. I have no idea what the people behind this were trying to achieve.

"We will have to scratch around to try and find teaching records.

"The children will be inconsolable."

Accrington Station Officer Pete Ashworth, said the fire was almost certainly caused by some kind of rag being doused in petrol before being hurled through a smashed window and landing on a computer.

One classroom was destroyed by the fire. An adjoining play room cannot be used as the partitioning wall is unsafe.

The only classroom that is fit to be used was the one that was badly damaged by fire in the last attack.

But children will not be able to use it for several days because of the stench of smoke.

Thick smoke is said to have put fire crews tackling the blaze in added danger. They had to smash windows with a sledge hammer to get in.

Station Officer Ashworth said: "It was very dangerous because we had to climb through windows with a six-foot drop on the other side and firefighters could not see their hands in front of their faces."

Mother-of-four Gillian Foote, 36, who has two children at the school and lives in nearby Jannet Close, described the fire as 'annoying and disruptive.'

She said: "We are devastated that everyone's hard work has gone up in smoke again. Something needs to be done."

The clean-up operation began today, but none of the children's projects from the last eight-months will be salvageable.

Damage at Arnside Nursing Home, which is believed to be privately owned by a local doctor but has been unused for about four years, was also substantial.

The fire was started at about midnight and crews fought the blaze for two hours.

It started at the bottom of the ground floor staircase, although the exact cause is unknown, and quickly spread throughout the three-storey building leaving only the basement undamaged.

The police have also launched an investigation and are treating the fires as suspicious. Anyone with more information should contact PC Wise or PC Sutton on 01254 51212.

Parents of children at the nursery are advised to ring the school 01254 2311584 to find out teaching arrangements.