The number of large fires is increasing

Children will to be asked to consider the consequences of malicious fires through an initiative at high-risk schools in Edinburgh, Glasgow and North Lanarkshire.

Organisers of the touring drama scheme Arson Combated Together (ACT) said that the cost of deliberate school fires in Scotland accounted for a third of the British total.

Police and fire brigade officers joined pupils and teachers to launch the scheme at Caldervale High School in Airdrie.

A play, entitled Trying to Get Back Home, tells how two fires at the same school affected the lives of children and staff.

The production and accompanying workshops will initially tour three council areas in Scotland and the north of England during the next two months. The project may then be rolled out across the rest of the country.

Malicious fire-setting is a major problem for schools, and its impact cannot be underestimated Jane Milne Arson Prevention Bureau

Organisers said many school fires were preventable, as 70% of all such blazes were started deliberately and half of all those convicted of arson, an offence known as malicious fire-raising in Scotland, were aged under 19.

Jane Milne, head of the Arson Prevention Bureau, which is backing the project, said getting pupils to discuss the consequences of fire-raising was "a positive step".

She said: "Malicious fire-setting is a major problem for schools, and its impact cannot be underestimated.

"The key to tackling the problem lies in the multi-agency approach, through raising awareness of the issue and developing best practice guidelines."

Last year, fires cost UK schools �97 million - with 34% of the bill picked up by schools in Scotland.

Insurer Zurich Municipal, which is also sponsoring the tour, said the number of large fires at schools - those costing �100,000 or more - were increasing rapidly.

The company said May was the most common month for malicious fires due to the pressure of exams and the milder weather leading to more children playing outside.