NEWS ---Police increase presence in 'vulnerable' areas after fire at Islamic boarding school in Chislehurst

Police have announced that there will be an increased police presence in “vulnerable” areas of London after a fire broke out at an Islamic school last night.
Emergency crews were called to the blaze at the Darul Uloom Islamic School in Foxbury Avenue, Chislehurst at 11:43pm. Officers confirmed the fire was being treated as suspicious but said investigations were still at an early stage.
Detective Chief Superintendent Steph Roberts, Bromley borough commander, said: “The fire is being treated as suspicious. Police enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances.
“There is an increased police presence around potentially vulnerable locations in the borough of Bromley and across London, including additional patrols to provide reasurance and deter crime.”
“We would ask members of the public to remain calm and not to speculate as to the cause of the fire. A full police investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation should call police on 101 or, to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The fire was attended by London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service. Two men were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation but their ages have not been released. London Fire Brigade said there were no other injuries reported. A spokesman said that approximately 128 people, thought to have been made up of pupils and staff, evacuated the building before firefighters arrived
He added that 21 firefighters and four engines were involved and the fire was under control by 12:37am.
Today, the school said they did not want to comment yet and were “dealing with the parents”.
The £3,000-a-year boarding school was established in 1988 with the purpose of producing “great scholars and Huffaz (people who have memorised the Koran) to preserve and transmit the eternal message of Allah”.
Its website says: “The institution helps children to explore and develop their Islamic identity as a natural part of their mental, emotional and personal development.
“The school aims to prepare Muslim students to be good Muslims and responsible citizens; to embed in the student a sense of discipline; to enable them to grow up to become upright, respectable and worthy citizens of their respective countries.”
The school was built in 1974 and comprises 130 boarding rooms in addition to classrooms, dining hall, assembly hall, prayer hall, gym, playing fields and car parking with 100 spaces, over a 10 acre site. An extension was built in 2007 consisting of 18 classrooms, a science laboratory, a prayer hall and wudhu (ablution) facilities.