AN arson attack at Okehampton College which destroyed sports equipment to the value of £10,000 has left staff 'shocked, angry and disappointed' said principal Chris Powell.

A building adjacent to the college's sports fields was burned down on Sunday with many items of sports equipment used by youngsters inside, including athletics hurdles and javelins.

Other pieces of sports equipment including large rugby post protectors, shot-puts, javelins and discuses were taken from the storage building and left strewn across the playing fields.

Okehampton firefighters were called to the college at 7.10am, but investigators believe the fire was probably started in the early hours of Sunday morning and had been burning for several hours before firefighters were notified.

Mr Powell said staff at the college were very upset by the attack: 'Everybody is shocked, angry and disappointed. It is an attack on the community, not just the college.

'It is particularly galling for the physical education staff and I don't understand why people should feel the need to do this.'

Mr Powell said the attack appeared to be premeditated.

'I don't think it was a spur of the moment thing. They obviously came prepared for it. It is a deliberate act of criminal damage and we would just like to see someone caught for it.'

Mr Powell said he was sure the arson attack must have been carried out by a group of people as it would have taken more than one person to move high jumps and rugby post protectors from the building onto the sports field in darkness.

Okehampton fire station officer Ian Donovan said one Okehampton fire appliance arrived at the college to find the whole roof of the building had been destroyed by the blaze.

Firefighters then had to remove the rest of the roof timbers and make the building secure.

Mr Donovan said the whole operation took around two-and-a-half hours and was quite dangerous because the roof timbers and walls of the building were extremely unstable.

An investigation into the arson attack is being carried out. It is believed the fire had virtually burned itself out by the time firefighters arrived at the college, which suggests it was probably started between 1am and 2am on Sunday.

The fire is a blow for the college after a number of recent successes — this year it recorded its best ever exam results, obtained technology college status, and just this term opened its new state-of-the-art technology block.

Okehampton Police have launched an appeal for any information about the fire, and ask anyone who may have information to contact them on 08452 777444.

Posters are likely to be put up around the college in the next few days to encourage any students who may know who was responsible for the fire to come forward.