A YOUTH who torched an Accrington school, causing £250,000 worth of damage and an accomplice who raided it with him, are awaiting sentence.

Burnley Crown Court heard how 30 firefighters tackled the blaze at Moorhead High School, Accrington, last December, for three hours.

A 16-year-old from Great Harwood has been convicted of burglary and arson and a 15-year-old from the Accrington area has pleaded guilty to burglary. Sentence was adjourned for a second time, until October 12.

John Wishart, prosecuting, said some time after 8.30pm, smoke started pouring from the school premises and the fire brigade was alerted.

After gossip and alleged confessions, the 16-year-old was arrested, along with his co-defendant, and both were interviewed on December 19.

The 16-year-old admitted the burglary from the outset but denied he was responsible for the blaze.

Mr Wishart said both subsequently admitted they had gone into the school to steal a radio which had been locked in a cupboard.

They had gone in twice but the first time there had been a previous entry. The property had been boarded up, the board was loose and had been pulled off. The 16-year-old had gone outside and at that point lit a piece of paper.

The offences would no doubt send shock waves throughout society when a school was burned down in what seemed a mindless act of vandalism, the court was told.

The 16-year-old did not contemplate that that would happen.