Arson repair to cost – $400,000

Press, 26 August 1986, Page 1

Arson repair t o cost - $400,000

Repairs to the classroom block damaged by an arson attack at Mairehau High School on Sunday are estimated to cost about $400,000. Contractors had begun repair work at the school yesterday, said the regional executive officer of the Education Department in-' Christchurch, Mr Bob Sanders.

Three temporary classroom buildings would also be moved to the school, in Hills Road.

Detective. Sergeant Graham Scott, who heads the Christchurch police arson squad, confirmed yesterday that the fire was arson. 1

“The fire was set in one of the downstairs offices," he said.

“There was no sign of accelerants.” :

Detective Sergeant Scott said that he believed the fire was started about 30 minutes before it was first

seen which was about 1.40 p.m. He would not say how it was started. The same classroom block had been burgled the previous week-end. The police would like to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity at the school on Sunday. Mr Sanders said that the two-storey block damaged in the fire was valued in total about $1.3 million.

It was an H-shaped building. The most serious damage was to rooms in the middle.

Eight of the rooms, at either end of the building, were now under repair and would be ready for use early next term, Mr Sanders said.

Repairs to the other damaged rooms would take several months and so the school would be provided with three replacement classroom buildings.