Shock pictures at Wolverhampton schools show trail of destruction as vandals cause more than £100,000 worth of damage
Wolverhampton Council has called the mindless vandalism 'sickening'.
Wolverhampton Council has condemned the actions of mindless vandals who left a trail of destruction as they caused more than £100,000 worth of damage to two schools in the region.
Intruders caused major criminal damage when they broke into both Green Park and Stowlawn Primary Schools at around 8.30pm on Thursday, before being disturbed by caretakers and fleeing the scene.
Pictures released by the council show the extent of the damage, which included external and internal doors, toilets, interactive whiteboards, iPads and computer equipment.
The school's mobile swimming pool was also damaged, as well as the changing rooms, and attempts were made to start a fire in the building.
Council officers, as well as West Midlands Police, have estimated that more than £100,000 of damage was caused by the vandals, with a police investigation now underway.
Leader of the council, Councillor Stephen Simkins, said: "We are absolutely appalled by this disgusting act of mindless vandalism. Those who have committed this crime need to be caught and prosecuted to the full power of the law.
"These idiotic individuals are a blight to our communities, and we will not tolerate them.
"We are working closely with police to find out what happened and make sure those responsible are held accountable. Together, we must stand against this kind of senseless behaviour and reaffirm our commitment to protecting our schools and the children and young people who depend on them."
Stowlan Primary headteacher, Kate Charles, said that the school is 'absolutely devastated', also saying that the impact on the children and staff has been immense.
She said, "We are absolutely devastated that someone would choose to target our schools like this for no reason. The impact over the past few hours on the staff, children and our families has been immense.
However, the local authority support has been amazing, as have the police, and we have received so many messages of support from our amazing families and local community.
"Luckily, the damage is repairable, and we are working to welcome our children back to school as soon as we can."
Green Park headteacher, Lorraine Downey, thanked the community for their support, as well as the caretaker, who intercepted the criminals.
She said: "We would like to thank drivers, passenger assistants and cleaners from across the city, led by the council's Head of School Business and Support, Bill Hague, and also our own staff members, who have volunteered their time this morning to help clear up.
"Also, our heartfelt thanks go to our brave community caretaker, who intercepted the intruders."
Anyone with information is asked to contact West Midlands Police on their 101 number, or alternatively via the Live Chat service on their website, quoting reference number 20/296969/25
