The former Craigielea Primary School building in Blackstoun Road, Paisley has been extensively damaged in a fire on the night of Thursday 26 June and is now closed.

Currently 380 pupils from St Charles' Primary School are based at Craigielea while their own building is being refurbished under Renfrewshire Council's school modernisation programme.

Parents have been advised not to send their children to school for the remaining days of the summer term. The school will not open on Monday 30 June or Tuesday 1 July when term was officially due to end.

On Friday morning teachers were posted at the school gates and on school bus routes to intercept children on their way to the school. No pupils were left unattended at pick-up points. Where parents were at home pupils were taken home. Otherwise they were taken to South Primary School in Neilston Road, Paisley.

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Councillor Lorraine Cameron, convener of Renfrewshire Council's education policy board, said: "It's shocking news that Craigielea Primary School has been badly damaged by fire. We did everything we could to let parents know the school is closed and to ensure pupils were returned home safely or had another school to go to for the day.

"Once we have had a chance to fully assess the situation we will contact parents and staff with further information. We can assure parents that their children's education will resume as normal in August."

The pupils from St Charles were expected to be at Craigielea until the end of this year when they are due to return to their refurbished school.

The full extent of the damage is not yet known although the central core of the school has been badly damaged. Employees from the Council's building services are expected to be allowed on site by Strathclyde Fire and Rescue this afternoon to begin the task of assessing the damage. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

(GK/JM)