Teenagers reported to police after spate of vandalism at Kingsfold Primary School

The names of the teenage suspects have been handed to neighbourhood officers and to the headteachers of high schools in the area, following a number of incidents at Kingsfold Primary School this week.

On Tuesday evening (December 15), three youths in black tracksuits were reportedly spotted behaving suspiciously in the school yard off Martinfield Road.

The next morning, the school's caretaker found picnic tables and benches had been piled together and used for climbing onto the roof.

A picnic table and bench had been placed atop of the school roof which was also littered with cigarette ends.

It prompted the school to post on social media, asking local residents to keep their eyes peeled for any anti-social activity on school grounds over the Christmas holidays.

This morning, headteacher Mrs Kellie Tierney told the Post: "We had returned to school after the weekend to find damage to the KS2 playground and evidence that the youths have been climbing on to the school roof.

"This matter has now been passed to the local police and to the local high schools as the youths have been named.

"Thank you to the local community who have shared our Facebook post and have continuously supported us by being extra vigilant.

"As a community school, we pride ourselves on supporting others and hope that during the Christmas school closure that any further disturbances will continue to be reported.

"Please could we ask that any locals who see teenagers on the school premises out of hours call 101 to report this?"

Yesterday (December 17), a member of staff had raised her concerns on social media, saying: "It’s such a worry to arrive at school to find it vandalised. This week, the picnic tables and benches were piled up and the youths had climbed up them, and placed a picnic table and bench set on the roof of the school

"The next day the picnic tables had been turned into a ‘cave’ and cigarette ends found inside. Fortunately no drugs.

"It’s just not nice to come into school in the mornings, to know that people have been lurking around in the dark."

Kingsfold Primary School has now closed for the Christmas holidays and residents are asked to keep their eyes peeled for any further anti-social behaviour.

One local resident said: "There is no excuse for this. This is no "prank", it is selfish and illegal behaviour.

"But I do feel for youths, because there is bugger all for them as far as I can tell - no social/youth clubs, no recreational facilities aimed at their age group (parks and playgrounds are usually aimed at the very young) and lockdown has intensified everything.

"Recreation facilities aimed at older kids usually cost money. But this is still no excuse for selfish and criminal behaviour."

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