STAFF at a community-run pre-school have spoken of their devastation after a suspected arson attack.

Penrhyn Pre-School, on the Priory Court Estate in Walthamstow, has been forced to temporarily close following the fire yesterday (Sunday December 9).

It is claimed that a man first threatened to set fire to an adjacent shop at around 11.30am.

After being ejected from the business he reportedly broke into Penrhyn, and then began smashing its windows before starting the blaze in the reception area.

A man, 25, was later arrested by police on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

He remains in custody but has not been charged.

The pre-school, which caters for around 30 children, is a charity run by a committee of parents.

Senior Key Person Emma Gallagher said: "We're all absolutely devastated.

"We're not a private pre-school and when something like this happens it breaks your heart.

"The children have been working really hard on a Christmas show and people have been worried it might be cancelled, but we're not going to be defeated.

"We'll hold it somewhere else if not here."

She added: "There's quite a lot of damage but we don't know yet when we'll be able to reopen until all the insurance people and investigators have taken a look.

"Parents have had to take time off work and it's caused a lot of disruption."

It is believed that the emergency services were called by a parent who lives near to the pre-school.

The Guardian is awaiting further information from the London Fire Brigade.

The incident comes just weeks after a suspected arson attack on Chase Lane Primary School's nursery in York Road, Chingford.

A man set fire to its wooden playhouse at around 8pm on Thursday November 22 but he managed to escape before police arrived.