Grammar School head teacher Jeff Smith outside the glasshouse closed off after a weekend attack in which vandals did £2,800-worth of damage. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0873621)
VANDALS have caused almost £3,000-worth of damage at the Grammar School.
They smashed panes in the doors to get into a greenhouse – used by the science department and a gardening club – between 5 and 9.30pm on Saturday.
The electrical control box inside the greenhouse was battered and other panes of glass were also broken.
Plants had been thrown around and empty beer bottles were found lying around the area and in the ornamental pond.
Grammar School head teacher Jeff Smith said the damage was devastating.
‘This is the first time that we have had vandalism at this level,’ he said.
‘Even the deputy heads, who have been here for quite some time, have never seen anything this bad.
‘It is hardened glass, so they must have hit it very hard to get through. It’s just mindless damage.’
A neighbour contacted police at around 9.30pm after they heard glass being smashed.
Blood was found on a handle of one of the doors to the school.
Mr Smith said police had taken DNA swabs from it.
‘Whoever has done it has obviously cut themselves really badly on the glass and will be going around with a pretty bad wound.’
He did not know whether they had tried to get into the building, but there was no sign of forced entry.
‘It’s going to cost us £2,800 to repair the damage,’ said Mr Smith.
‘And the students are very angry, because at the end of the day we’re going to have to spend that money that would have been spent on something for their benefit.
‘They do like justice and don’t like the idea of someone getting away with something like this.’
No one has yet been arrested and police are appealing for witnesses.
Article posted on 18th November, 2009 - 2.29pm
6 Article Comments
I’m interested to know why this isn’t covered by insurance?
Report abuse
Who says its not covered? What do you know that we don’t Dean?
Report abuse
damm them, now the skateboarders who use the grammar school, because they dont have a skatepark!, and never do any damage and always try to clear up after themselves will get blamed and then banned!
Report abuse
I also would like to know why it isn’t covered by insurance, because the States would pay the excess, and it would not be taken out of the school fund.
Jeff also seems to think it’s those that go to that school, I’d love to know why he thinks this.
Report abuse
It said in the article that the school would be paying for it, this was only printed in the paper so I guess my comment was unclear. That’s where the ‘rob’ in the headline comes from.
Report abuse
i suppose these vandals will escape any form of punishment if caught……poor little misunderstood mites…..
Report abuse