SCHOOLCHILDREN have said a big thank-you to firefighters who hosed down classrooms after they burst into flames.

Bincombe Valley School pupils took part in a sponsored walk that raised £1,650 and have donated half the proceeds to the Fire Services National Benevolent Fund.

They handed the cheque to members of the Blue Watch who extinguished the fire that gutted their junior block and caused £500,000 worth of damage last summer.

Five crews rushed to the scene in 12 engines and fought their way in to battle the blaze for more than two hours after the alarm was raised at 1am.

The rest of the sponsorship money is being spent on replacing equipment destroyed in the blaze in Littlemoor, Weymouth.

Liz White, who teaches Years 3 and 4, said: "The children held a sponsored walk round an outline of Britain that we painted on the playing field.

"There were activities for different places such as doing the Highland fling in Edinburgh and curtsying to the Queen in London."

She said that the fire crews brought a fire engine with them and stayed all day to teach children about fire safety.

Pupils have been accommodated in temporary classrooms while the main building is repaired.