A HAMPSHIRE pre-school is counting the cost of losing its outdoor toy collection after arsonists set fire to its storage sheds.

Staff at Testwood Baptist Church Pre-school in Totton were left with melted lumps of plastic and the charred remains of children’s bicycles after flames destroyed a wooden shed full of toys and wrecked a second metal storage unit.

Fire crews were called to the car park of the church in Salisbury Road in the early hours of Saturday morning after neighbours spotted flames coming from behind the building.

Operations manager Steve Reynolds said children and staff at the pre-school will be left devastated.

“The effect on the pre-school will be quite devastating for them as they have lost a lot of toys and other play things.

“The police and fire officers believe it is arson.

“We don’t have a problem with vandalism here as we see hundreds of youngsters through our youth clubs.

“A lot of people will be upset because they would have come here when they were younger or would have children or grandchildren that come here,” he added.

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A spokesman from Redbridge fire station said they were called out at 12.50am to tackle the blaze which also damaged part of a fence.

“It destroyed one shed and the heat from the fire melted everything in the metal one.

“It is a real shame for the kids because a lot of toys would have been inside,” he added.

The Baptist Church is now preparing for a free community family fun day on Saturday, June 13 and say the pre-school would gladly accept donations of new outdoor toys for the children.