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Yobs wreak havoc at school
CHILDREN have been left heartbroken after yobs wreaked havoc at Hinderwell's Oakridge School, smashing up their garden and vandalising play equipment.
They struck twice – on the Friday over half-term, smashing plant pots, burning their play equipment with cigarettes, ripping a board off one of the nursery’s play houses, pulling down bird feeders and damaging the roof of another by kicking a football at it.
And just over a week ago, bedding plants and grasses the children had just helped plant to brighten up the school grounds, were ripped out and stamped on.
Many items were donated by local businesses including Jewson in Whitby’s Fairfield Way and council workers who spent two-and-a-half days in the grounds helping clear all the overgrown beds which had previously been neglected.
The school has CCTV and the teenagers were caught on film which police are investigating.
Headteacher Christina Zanelli said the school’s 60 pupils are very upset.
“We’ve done really well to get out of special measures and then we get vandalised,” she said.
“We have been re-developing the gardens since September when I took over as headteacher.
“Now the school is looking better it’s really disappointing for us that anybody would want to come and spoil it.
“The parents are quite upset as well as the children in the school because of the hard work they had put in designing it and writing to businesses for the equipment.
“I explained that on the CCTV, we found some people and the police have spoken to them.”
Miss Zanelli said 100 of damage was caused.
She added: “It wasn’t the money that was the problem.
“It’s the fact the kids have worked hard to get things looking the way they do.
“They have a real pride in it which is why they have taken it so hard.
“Cigarette burns in a nursery play house for three-year-olds is not nice.
“The rest of the community look after the school.
“We are an open site and happy for children to play on the fields in the holidays as long as they use it responsibly.
“We’ve always had that arrangement with the community.”
Sgt Steve Pearse of Whitby police condemned the vandals.
He said: “It seems on the face of it to be an act of wanton vandalism which will have a significant impact on the children and residents of Hinderwell.
“I would appeal for anyone who knows anything at all about this to contact PC 993 Mark Hattersley on (0845) 6060247.”
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Weather for Whitby
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
