TWO teenagers are today being questioned by police following a weekend fire that caused £1m-worth of damage to a Chandler's Ford school.

The 17-year-olds are being quizzed by Eastleigh police following the blaze at Thornden School, which wrecked six classrooms and caused extensive smoke damage.

Detective Inspector Brian Mitchell of Eastleigh police said: "This is a very serious incident which will have a substantial impact on the local community.

"Any person with any information that can assist with inquiries is urged to contact police as soon as possible."

education bosses say the school will be closed to its 1,300 pupils and staff for at least the next two days until temporary buildings are brought in.

Six classrooms - including maths, food, technology and textiles rooms - were wrecked.

It is estimated that 80 per cent of the main building was also damaged by smoke.

About 50 firefighters tackled the fire at the Winchester Road school after the alarm was raised by resident caretaker Roger Hiscock at midnight on Saturday - just 15 hours after firefighters returned to work following their eight-day strike over pay.

Head teacher Dr Robert Sykes said: "At the moment there is fire damage to approximately six classrooms and obviously smoke damage over a much larger area.

"The school is closed, certainly for today and tomorrow."

Dr Sykes called an emergency staff meeting as teachers arrived at the school this morning.

Asked about the cause of the blaze and any possible link to a recent vandalism attack on the school, he said: "The police are actively investigating and really we don't know any more than that at the moment."

The fire came just after pupils from Year 11 had finished taking their mock GSCE exams.

It took three hours for the crews from Eastleigh, Redbridge, Winchester and Romsey to extinguish the fire which started on the ground floor of the two-storey building.

Chief education officer for Hampshire Andrew Seber said:

"It is a tragedy that work has been lost in this way but it is our job to minimise the disruption to teaching as much as possible."

Chairman of governors Stephen O'Connell added: "It is too early to say what disruption might continue beyond the next two days. All I can say is really how sorry I am for the pupils and teachers who have lost undoubtedly valuable work in the fire."