A headteacher has said it will be business as usual for pupils on Monday after part of a school was destroyed by fire.

The sixth form common room at the Grove School, Darwell Close, St Leonards, was vandalised and gutted by fire on New Year's Eve.

Headteacher Paul Martin said: "I think we have been lucky because only the common room was affected and the door kept the fire from escaping into other parts of the school.

"The school will be open as usual for lessons on Monday and we will have to think about alternative arrangements for the sixth formers."

The common room provided a social area for 110 sixth form students.

A team of fire investigation officers was working with police yesterday to collect evidence before a clean-up operation could get under way.

The cost of the damage is not yet known.

Detective Constable Roy Stephenson from Hastings CID is leading the investigation into the blaze. Anyone with information is asked to contact him on 0845 6070999, extension 60269.