A HARD-HITTING play teaching youngsters about the dangers of fire-setting has gone on a national tour.

Written by a Southampton teacher, Arson About aims to reduce the number of arson cases in the county by at least ten per cent.

The play is the tale of a group of children who set fire to a school and tells of the disastrous consequences.

Produced by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) with Stopwatch Theatre Company, the play had its first performance at Oaklands Community School in Lordshill before going on tour of the county then the country.

Donna Smith, education adviser for HFRS, said: "The government has set us he task of reducing arson figures and we wanted to go about it creatively and engage the children, so we thought of a play."

Playwright and head of drama at Oaklands School, Mark Wheeller, used some of the pupils to help him create one of the characters.

"This was to bring it as close to reality as possible so they would recognise the language and interact in the performance," he said.

Southampton has been identified as one of the top areas for fire-starting behaviour in Hampshire.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service was called out to 1,360 "non-accidental" fires in 2003-4 and the current figure for 2004-5 is 1,019.

Most cases of arson are caused by people aged between 13 and 19.

Sam McCarthy, a Year 8 pupil at Oaklands, said he had seen people his age deliberately start fires.

"I think after watching the play I would now tell somebody starting a fire to stop what they are doing because I now understand how dangerous a fire can be," he said.

Arson About will also visit Redbridge Community School, Hardley School in Holbury and Millbrook Community School.