The damage at Withington Girls' School will take six months to repair

And the bill for repairs after arson attacks on schools in the North West last year amounts to about �97m.

In one of the worst fires of the summer, Withington Girls' School in Manchester, suffered serious damage to one of its wings.

And pupils at a school in Blackpool which has been destroyed by fire, are to start the new term at another school.

The cause of the fire at Withington has not been confirmed, but police believe it was started deliberately.

Detective Constable Jonathan Wakefield, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "It has been estimated that �1m damage has been caused to the school.

Temporary classrooms

"The seat of the fire has been discovered in the roof of the building.

"From our initial enquiries within the area two youths were seen to be hanging around the vicinity of the school over the Thursday night into the Friday morning.

"If anyone did see these two people or saw anything at all suspicious that would lead us to those responsible for causing the fire they should contact us."

The start of the new term will be delayed by two days and the school will have to use temporary classrooms until the damage has been repaired.

A fire at Devonshire Junior School in Layton, Blackpool, on Saturday night, is also being treated as suspicious.

Six children aged between 10 and 12 have been questioned by police and released on police bail.

Blackpool Council says all 400 children due to return next week will be accommodated at the recently-vacated Boundary Primary School on Grange Park.