Police treating Hastings school fire as arson

The fire that destroyed Hastings Intermediate school hall on Tuesday was deliberately lit, investigations show.

The 10m by 30m hall caught fire on Tuesday at about 6.30pm and took firefighters an hour to bring under control.

Detective Sergeant David de Lange of Hastings police said following a fire safety officer's examination of the scene, the fire was now being investigated as an arson.

Police would be interviewing a number of people, including children, who were seen in the area at the time the fire started, Mr de Lange said.

However, they were still appealing for any information from the public who saw anything suspicious at the school between 4.30pm and 6.30pm on Tuesday.

- NZPA