A BOY who did more than £1 million damage when he set fire to a Bradford school has been sentenced to a three year Youth Rehabilitation Order.

The 11-year-old child used a match and paper to start the blaze in a storeroom at St Cuthbert and the First Martyrs Catholic Primary School, in Scotchman Road, Manningham.

He sat with his parents at Bradford Crown Court to hear Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC tell him: "You did not foresee such a tragic outcome and you have been terrified ever since."

The slightly-built boy pleaded guilty in August to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered on the afternoon of May 11.

Today, the court heard that the gifted youngster, who cannot be named because of his age, had ambitions to become a doctor.

Prosecutor Heather Gilmore said the fire did £1,070,000 worth of damage, destroying three classrooms and water-damaging other parts of the building.

Some pupils had lost all their schoolwork and children had suffered nightmares since.

"He is chastened in the extreme," she said.

Firefighters at St Cuthbert and the First Martyrs Catholic Primary School in May

Judge Durham Hall praised the "inclusive, loving and caring" school.

He had read comprehensive reports from the Youth Offending Team and a psychiatrist and a psychologist.

Judge Durham Hall said they all showed that the immature and vulnerable boy did not think through the consequences of his actions.

"It was a very bad thing, but you did not, in your moment of stress, think it through," he said.

The risk of the boy reoffending had been assessed by a team of experts as low, with the emphasis on rehabilitation for "a very positive outcome."

Daniel Copley, executive head teacher at St Cuthbert and The First Martyrs Catholic Primary School, said: "Cases like this are very difficult and we respect the court’s decision. The whole school community has shown great resilience with staff and pupils working together to move on from this difficult event.

"We are back up and running and have had an excellent start to the new school year and we are looking forward to moving back into our newly refurbished classrooms in November."

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