SCOTTISH Power are offering a £10,000 reward to anyone that can help track down the thugs behind a malicious fire at St Benedict's High school.

The Gazette reported last week that a deliberate blaze at the Linwood school nearly resulted in a dangerous explosion.

The substation located in the school’s grounds was completely destroyed by fire, causing a major power cut to nearly 300 local homes and businesses.

The incident took place at the Linwood school on Sunday, August 28 just after midnight.

A group of youths were seen acting suspiciously near wheelie bins in front of the building at Bridge of Weir Road.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue team were quick on the scene and managed to put out the flames two hours later.

Engineers from SP Energy Networks were also alerted shortly after midnight, managing to restore power supplies soon after.

The team worked through the night and all day on Sunday to assess the scale of the damage and begin the task of constructing a new substation for the school.

The company installed a large generator to allow the school to open as normal on Monday, and a brand new substation was fully installed by Wednesday afternoon.

Graham Campbell, SP Energy Networks District Manager, said: "This was an extremely dangerous attack, and the criminals involved have put hundreds of local homes and families at risk.

"In the worst cases, vandalism at substations can result in house fires in nearby properties or cause damage to electrical appliances.  

"Our engineers have worked around the clock to keep the power on for the local area and ensure that the school could remain open.

"It has been a huge effort from our team of engineers and everyone at the school to minimise the disruption caused by the attack.

“We will work closely with the police to help catch those responsible, but we would also encourage anyone who has any information on those responsible to come forward.  

"This attack was so dangerous that we are willing to pay a £10,000 reward to anyone who can provide evidence that directly leads to the conviction of those responsible."

SP Energy Networks is asking anyone who can provide evidence on the attack to either contact the Police, or to call the company’s 24 hour hotline on 0800 092 9290.