Neighbours heard an explosion today before thick clouds of black smoke started billowing from a junior school.

Firefighters from across Surrey were tackling the blaze at the school in Weybridge.

Eight fire engines, forty fire-fighters, an aerial ladder platform and a water carrier were sent to St George’s College Junior School in Thames Street.

Children at the school, which educates boys and girls aged 3 to 11, were said to be unhurt and "accounted for" by police.

Building work had been going on at the school. The Fire Brigade say the fire is at a construction site. New classrooms were due to be built as part of a two year project.

From January 2014: St George's Junior School heralds start of new era

The headteacher of the junior school, Anthony Hudson, said in a statement released this afternoon: "While this has come as a great shock, I am very relieved that not a single person was hurt in any way and I am particularly grateful to my colleagues and the emergency services for dealing with the situation so professionally. 

"All the children have returned to class and we very much look forward to seeing them again on Monday morning for business as usual."

He said that no school children or staff were near the construction site during the fire.

A worker at The Old Crown said he heard a “very large explosion” before lots of thick, black smoke appeared.

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Tamsin Blakeney, owner of Piglets Playcentre in Hersham, said: “I was driving to Weybridge to take my daughter to a physiotherapy appointment and I saw billows and billows of smoke.

"When we got closure, we realised it was the school. As we drove away, there was a fire engine and an ambulance.

"We parked up and I could see the smoke was dying down a bit but another three or four fire engines went past.

“I could see the children being evacuated but they seemed calm and so did the adults.

"I saw them coming down fire escapes and coming down the side steps of the building – they didn’t look panicked. It was the mums in the street that were panicked.

“I have never seen anything like it before. It was colossal. People from three miles away could smell it - you can smell the smoke in Walton.” 

Councillor Andrew Davis, who is near the school, said: “It started from what I heard about 20 to 25 minutes ago. It is the roof of the new extension at the school and I have heard mentions of an explosion.

“There is a plume of black smoke and the firefighters are dousing it now. The school has been evacuated.

“At this stage, there is a lot of smoke in the neighbourhood.

“I think the new building has a flat roof. The main thing is, I trust, none of the workers were put in danger.

“It is mayhem here – all the roads are blocked. The emergency tape is keeping people quite a long way back.”

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A Surrey Fire & Rescue Spokesman said: “We were called to a fire in Thames Street, Weybridge at 12.37pm and have sent eight fire engines, a number of specialist vehicles and around 40 firefighters to the scene.

"At this time it is too early to comment further on the incident but updates will be provided on this site when available."

Nick Woods, who works at The Kitchen Shop, said: “We just heard there was an explosion and a lot of smoke.

“Apparently the fire is in a conservatory. There’s a huge amount of smoke."

The Roman Catholic fee-paying school teaches boys and girls aged 3 to 11 with fees of up to £4,000 a term.

It counts inventor Sir Clive Sinclair, David Laws MP, England cricket brothers Adam and Ben Hollioake and Marcus Agius, the chairman of Barclays Bank, among its former pupils.

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