Boy not guilty of endangering life with school fire

No-one was injured in the fire at the school, which is a short distance from Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium

A 16-year-old boy has been cleared by a judge of endangering life after starting a fire at a Catholic school in west London.

A major incident was declared after smoke and flames broke out in the atrium of the London Oratory School in Fulham on 27 December last year.

The youth, who cannot be named because of his age, was arrested by police on the same day and initially denied a charge of arson before later pleading guilty to the offence on 2 September.

He was also charged with arson with recklessness for endangering life and assaulting an emergency worker and denied both offences.

During a judgement hearing at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, district judge Andrew Sweet ruled the endangering life charge should be dismissed as he believed the defendant "did consider his actions" and "was intending to try and harm himself rather than anyone else".

The teenager wrote a note of apology and made a 999 call immediately after the fire, but also kicked a responding police constable, the court heard.

Mr Sweet ruled the defendant's behaviour towards the officer was "reckless" and found him guilty of assaulting an emergency worker.

The youth appeared in court in person for the hearing alongside members of his family.

The judge released the defendant on conditional bail to next appear for sentencing at the same court on 12 November.