A GLASGOW MSP is calling for a “salvage operation” after a historic school building was gutted by a fire last week.

Flames ripped through the Queen Mary Street Public School on Bernard Terrace, Bridgeton, on Friday night.

Twelve fire engines attended to extinguish the blaze and were still on the scene the next day, as smoke rose over the rubble.

Images of the aftermath show the scale of the devastation.

The interior of the building looks almost entirely destroyed by the blaze, with black marks on the windows' exterior.

Workers remain on site to secure the area.

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Paul Sweeney, Labour MSP for the Glasgow region, told the Glasgow Times he was trying to get a “salvage operation” agreed as soon as possible, to preserve what is left of the structure.

The school had been designated under the B-listed building category in 2004.

Designed by architects James Boucher and Henry Higgins, around 1891, it had a “good quality, near-intact [...] fine classically treated interior”, with “a wealth of decoration” and contributed to the “history of the streetscape”, according to the Historic Environment Scotland (HES) website.

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As of 2010, it was described as “currently not in use”, with HES stating it was “located in an area of the city which has undergone a particularly comprehensive programme of change over the last 50 years”.

In a tweet, Mr Sweeney called the blaze an “act of apparent wilful fire-raising” and expressed his regret at the loss of a piece of Glasgow history.

However, Police Scotland said the incident is "not currently being treated as wilful".

Mr Sweeney added: “Queen Mary Street Public School by Henry Higgins and James Boucher is B-listed and was built in 1891.

“It has been disused and on the Buildings at Risk Register since 2009.

“Externally a fairly simple red sandstone standard School Board of Glasgow design, it had a beautiful internal galleried atrium and the upper storey has latterly had windows inserted, as can be seen in photos c. 1916.

“It's also one of the last heritage buildings left in this area.”

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The politician called for a structural investigation to establish whether the facade could be maintained, following the model of other heritage buildings in the city that have been restored.

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He added: “Whilst it looks like the fire has gutted the interior, the external walls remain in place, so it would be good to have an urgent structural investigation carried out by David Narro Associates to establish if they can be preserved either in-situ or through a careful downtaking project.

“We have two precedents to work from. The 2013 Steiner School fire at Yorkhill gutted the interior but is now being restored as flats.

“Also Haghill School suffered a roof collapse last year but the principle facades have been salvaged pending reconstruction as part of new housing.”

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Police Scotland told the Glasgow Times they are not treating the fire as wilful.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Due to the condition of the building, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service cannot carry out any further investigations into the cause of the fire.

“It is not currently being treated as wilful.”

Glasgow City Council has been approached for comment.

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