Vandals cause £100,000 worth of damage to Glasgow school

MULTIPLE attacks by vandals on a Glasgow primary school have caused £100,000 of damage.

Vandals struck at St Catherine's primary school and caused £100,000 worth of damage. Picture: SWNS

Thugs, believed to be former pupils, have smashed windows, broken into a garden hut and thrown equipment across the playground during the break-ins at St Catherine’s Primary School.

Staff and pupils are said to be “absolutely devastated” by the damage caused, while headteacher Donna McKay said her pupils’ school experience is being “ruined” and fears someone will be seriously hurt.

Ms McKay said: “My staff and I are absolutely devastated at the amount of damage that’s been caused over the past few months but I really feel sorry for my pupils as it’s their learning and their school experience that is being ruined.

“For instance, we recently received a Food for Thought Grant to improve our outdoor learning for next term and last week, in addition to smashing six windows, they also broke into our garden hut and broke every bit of equipment in there and threw it all over the playground.

“This will have a devastating impact on lessons we had planned for next term as we can’t simply go out and purchase everything again.” She added: “I also worry that eventually someone is going to get seriously hurt as there is always so much broken glass about and they climb all over the roof of the building.”

The cost of the damage from various attacks over the past year has cost more than £100,000 to repair.

And drugs and alcohol are believed to be involved after smashed booze bottles and drugs paraphernalia were found in the playground.

Other damage inflicted includes a gazebo being set on fire, damage to a bike shed so bad it had to be removed, holes kicked in PVC doors, PVC doors melted and guttering broken when vandals used it to climb on the roof.

Glasgow City Council put in preventative measures to stop it happening including metal grids covering five classroom’s windows.

These were pulled off the walls, ripping out the PVC frames, and the windows were smashed again.

A metal hut housing gardening equipment was broken into and equipment vandalised. And fires have been set in the school playground.

In the most recent attack, on June 29, three toilet windows, two windows in the school annex and a stairwell window were smashed.

The garden hut’s door lock was broken and the contents vandalised and strewn across the playground.

Just the week before, more windows in the annex were smashed.

It is believed a group of former pupils is responsible for the bulk of the damage and some have been identified by parents and pupils. But no one is willing to give a statement to police.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact officers at Easterhouse Police Office on 101.”

Liz Cameron, executive member for children, young people and lifelong learning, said: “These people should be ashamed of themselves.

“It is not only the fabric of the building that’s being damaged by these mindless vandals but the learning of all the children in the school.”

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