A HEADTEACHER said it was lucky more damage wasn't done after a suspected arson attack saw a climbing frame in the school's reception garden destroyed.

Fire officers were called out to Maindee Primary School on Saturday evening after the timber climbing frame was set alight.

Headteacher Emma Nolan said the fire had started following an attempt to burn a sock on the plastic cable of the climbing frame which was just four feet from the school.

She said: "It was lucky that they weren’t hurt and that more damage was not done."

A spokesman for the fire service said the fire was deliberate. Police are investigating and a spokeswoman said enquiries are ongoing.

Mrs Nolan, who has been headteacher at the school for seven years, added that the children had been left upset with the loss of the play equipment.

She said: “The kids are upset as the climbing frame was right outside their classroom door. It’s an eyesore and they’ve lost a significant part of their yard.”

The school put up the multi-purpose frame – which helps children’s physical development through climbing, swinging, and sliding – in 2004.

In the evenings and during the school holidays, the school allows local youngsters to play football on the grounds of the school – making the yard one of Maindee’s most valued play sites.

Cautious about previous plans to buy more play equipment, the school will be unable to replace the climbing frame until the insurance comes through.

Instead, the school is looking at making the area more secure to prevent people climbing over the gate.

Mrs Nolan said: “Aside from some graffiti on the picnic benches, we’ve never had any equipment completely destroyed during my time here."

Anyone with any information should contact Gwent police on 101.