Dramatic footage shows huge blaze rip through former County Durham primary school

A huge blaze has ripped through a former County Durham primary school. Firefighters tackled a huge blaze for nine hours at a former County Durham primary school.

Firefighters tackled the blaze at the derelict Greenland Community Infant School, in South Moor, near Stanley. Crews were called at around 10.16pm on Tuesday evening, with four crews and an area ladder platform sent to the scene.

Three hose reel jets were used to extinguish the blaze before crews left the scene just before 8am on Wednesday. Durham Constabulary is treating the blaze as suspicious and an investigation is under way.

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A spokeswoman for the force said: "Police were called to reports of a fire in a derelict school building in Stanley at about 10.20pm last night (Tuesday, May 14). The incident at the former Greenland Primary School, in South Terrace, is being treated as suspicious.

"Enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with any information is asked to call Durham Constabulary on 101, quoting incident reference 495."

A County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: “We were called at 10.16pm on Tuesday, May 14 to a fire at the derelict Greenland Infant School in South Moor.

"Two fire engines from High Handenhold, one fire engine from Consett, and one fire engine from Durham Fire Station attended the incident, along with Durham’s Area Ladder Platform.

“Crews used three hose reel jets to extinguish the blaze before leaving the scene at 7.54am on Wednesday, May 15.”

The school has stood unoccupied for a number of years and was sold by Durham County Council in 2016. It is not the first time a blaze has hit the building, with a major fire ripping through the property in June 2019.

A number of plans have been put forward in recent years to bring the building back into use, one proposal included turning the building into a care home. Another proposal could have seen the building turned into a hostel for vulnerable adults, but it was withdrawn following an outcry from local residents.