A PARENT has launched a campaign to replace the pavilion torched by suspected arsonists at Tavistock Primary School which caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Jessica Coombes, who has two children aged five and seven at the school, said the attack had left the school devastated.

Pupils at Tavistock Primary were faced with the scorched remains of the building when they returned to school earlier this week.

Town police investigating the blaze, which happened on Bank Holiday Monday, were understood to be close to catching the culprits, who may be connected with a group of youths seen ’messing about’ in the area shortly before the fire started.

Mrs Coombes, who launched a go fund me page on social media in an attempt to raise £1,000 towards replacing the building, used by pupils as an outdoor learning space, said it had been a valuable asset when the covid lockdowns ended.

She said: ’Our children have had a horrendous year and when they went back to school the outdoor classroom provided them with a space to obtain knowledge and experiences which otherwise they would have missed out on due to covid measures.

’We are a small community who work together to provide for our youth as much as possible and the fact that someone has taken the time to destroy this is devastating for us.’

Mrs Coombes said some people had felt that it was not necessary to raise money to replace the building as it was thought it would be covered by insurance.

But she said online that it be quicker to raise the cash and replace the building themselves, rather than wait for insurance to arrive and she added: ’I have spoken to the school who have not as yet raised any objections to the go fund me page. For me it is such an important part of the school now that it is devastating for them (the pupils) to start the school year with such horrendous news.’

The school’s chairman of governors, Darren Newland, said he believed it would cost in the region of £6,000 to replace the pavilion and they were waiting on their insurance company and police investigations before considering the next steps.

He said: ’It’s a shame for the children, who will see that (the remains of the pavilion) when they come back to school, because they enjoyed it. It’s an outdoor learning building, rather than a classroom, but it’s something we’re certainly not going to have for the first term.’

The fire came close to destroying a memorial to youngsters tragically killed during the Dunblane massacre in 1996. A number of trees planted near the pavilion caught on fire as the pavilion went up in flames in a matter of minutes.

Only the quick actions of town firemen who were called to the scene of the fire prevented it from burning down the trees, which were planted after gunman Thomas Hamilton shot dead 16 pupils and one teacher and injured 15 others at the Dunblane school before shooting himself.

Town police appealed for information following the fire via Crimestoppers, quoting reference CR/075235/21.