THE tears shed over the fire that swept through Glasgow School of Art turned to smiles as firefighters who salvaged much of the building were given a heroes' send-off a week after the blaze.

Muriel Gray, chairwoman of the art school's board of governors, was last week pictured crying as flames took over the Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece.

Yesterday, however, she was seen beaming along with some of the firefighters who contained the blaze, salvaging 90 per cent of the building's structure and saving 70 per cent of its contents.

She later joined students, some of whom lost their entire portfolio of artworks in the blaze, to form a guard of honour as fire engines pulled away from the building.

Art school director Professor Tom Inns said: "We did not want to miss this opportunity to once again register our deep and heartfelt thanks to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, who have been quite simply amazing."