The fire completely destroyed the main building

Wheldon Comprehensive in Carlton was destroyed by a huge fire last December.

The blackened frame will be demolished by specialised machinery on Wednesday.

Since the fire, students have been taught in temporary classrooms installed in a nearby car park.

Callum Orr, head teacher at the school, said: "To be honest I will be delighted to see it go.

"For the last three months we have been desperate to get rid of what is a real eyesore.

New building

"I had very mixed emotions when it was on fire - sadness, anger and frustration.

"But now we are desperate to get rid of it and start thinking about what will replace it, which will be a superb state-of-the-art building."

Vicky Castenbower, a student at the school said: "I lost a lot of memories in the fire so I will be a little sad to see the building go but it is very exciting to think of what will replace it."

More than �8m is being spent on a new building on the same site.

It should be open by September 2004.