Boy, 16, who caused £2million worth of damage at a prestigious London school is handed a 10-month referral order and ordered to pay £100 to a police officer he assaulted

A teenage boy who started a fire that caused £2million worth of damage at a top London Catholic school has been handed a 10-month referral order. Fire engines and police officers on Seagrave Road in Fulham, west London, as firefighters tackled the blaze at London Oratory School on December 27, 2023 A major incident was declared after smoke and orange flames broke out in the £5million atrium of the London Oratory School The fire was on the fourth floor of the school library and the building and surrounding area had to be evacuated A statement from the school's headmaster Daniel Wright was read out by Ms Mahadeo, which was written in May, in which he said the cost of the damage at that point was in the region of £2 million. The youth was arrested by police on the same day and initially denied a charge of arson before later pleading guilty to the offence on September 2 District judge Andrew Sweet gave the defendant a referral order for 10 months and ordered him to pay £100 compensation to the police officer and a £26 victim surcharge Yesterday, the boy apologised and told the court: 'I'm not the same person that I was a year ago'. District judge Andrew Sweet gave the defendant a referral order for 10 months and ordered him to pay £100 compensation to the police officer and a £26 victim surcharge.