A burning school sparked a barrage of calls to the fire service as a crowd of more than 100 people watched on in shock.

A gaping hole could today been seen in the roof of Elston Hall Primary School after last night’s suspected arson attack, which has left its charred roof beams exposed.

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Residents living near the school, along the busy Stafford Road in Fordhouses, gathered as 40 firefighters tackled the blaze.

Mike Bile, aged 36, from Stafford Road, was one of the many who called the fire brigade at around 8.10pm after seeing the flames from his back garden.

He said: “The dog was going mad in the garden so I went out out and I could immediately smell smoke.  When I walked round the corner I saw the flames and called the fire brigade. It was really shocking.”

Fred Lloyd, aged 55, from nearby Burnley Crescent, added: “When I went into the garden I thought ‘Blimey it’s gone cloudy’.

“Then I realised it was thick black smoke. My wife looked out of the bedroom window and thought it was the nearby industrial estate on fire but I said ‘No, that’s the school.”

West Midlands Fire Service group commander Nigel Sowden praised the quick response of residents who dialled 999.

Eight fire engines from across the Black Country were called to deal with the drama.

He said: “We had a significant amount of calls from residents and fast action by firefighters saved the rest of the building.”

A police cordon was put in place around the school entrance and Stafford Road was closed to city-bound traffic. The fire was put out in around an hour.

Wolverhampton City Council spokesman Paul Brown said today it was not yet known whether repairs would be carried out in time for the start of the new school term on September 1.