Vandals strike at Wilsden Primary School (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Windows broken in attack that leaves staff, parents and children bewildered

6:00am Thursday 21st March 2013 in News By Julie Tickner, T&A Reporter

Wilsden Primary School deputy head Marie Blakeley-Broadbent

Vandals smashed into a shed, threw play equipment into a beck, broke lights and chucked concrete slabs through a window at Wilsden Primary School.

The attack has angered staff, bewildered children and disrupted classes.

Deputy head teacher Marie Blakeley-Broadbent said: “We’re really upset by it because the school is the hub of the community, and it’s supposed to be something that’s respected, and there are people in our community that are not respecting it. It’s tragic really.”

Vandals kicked in the door of a school shed which stored outdoor equipment used by four and five-year-olds. They took out play tunnels and barrels used for storage and threw them into the beck which runs behind the school in Tweedy Street.

Lights in a porch near one of the school entrances were smashed, outdoor posters in the playground were ripped and two concrete paving slabs were thrown through an office window in the attack, which occurred late on Tuesday night.

The damage meant some classes had to use different entrances to school, some play areas were unusable yesterday, and older children who realised what had happened were saddened.

Mrs Blakeley-Broadbent said: “They’re really shocked and upset. They find it difficult to understand that someone has done this to their school because it’s really important to them.

“It looks like a completely unnecessary act of vandalism. These people have come along just because they wanted to vandalise the building, and they’ve done a very good job of it.

“We’re incredibly angry and very upset. It’s just mischievous and wanton vandalism. They don’t realise what they’ve done.”

The school was vandalised, but not to the same extent, two weeks ago.

Staff are now looking at increasing security and considering CCTV.

Mrs Blakeley-Broadbent said: “The school is the heart of a whole community and we don’t want it to be like Fort Knox, but it might mean we have to put higher fences up too.”

Bingley and Worth Neighbourhood Policing Team Inspector Sue Sanderson said: “We are aware this is the second time in recent weeks that the school has been targeted by vandals and we are carrying out enquiries as to who might be responsible.

“Vandalism is a serious crime and one that affects the whole community. I would ask anyone with information about this incident to contact the NPT on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”