The head teacher of a special school has hit out at “mindless” vandals who broke into the playground and set fire to a minibus.

Paul Winter said staff at Chapel Grange School in Rhodesway, Allerton, Bradford, were dismayed when they arrived to find locks on the school gates cut and the burned-out shell of the white Ford Transit bus.

The wreckage caused disruption as youngsters at the school arrived in their buses and taxis trying to get in through the gates. Staff had cordoned off the danger area to make it safe but were hindered by ice making the ground more hazardous.

Mr Winter, who has been headteacher there for 17 years, said: “We are deeply hurt by what has happened – that someone could be so mindless to do such a thing.

“Our children need routine and if anything happens to change that then it’s incredibly distressing and upsetting for them.

“It was chaos first thing yesterday as everyone was trying to arrive.”

He added: “Luckily for us it wasn’t our own minibus, it was a hired one. We had a really busy day in school on Thursday with some children going to see Santa on a barge in Mirfield, others going to a Mind The Gap theatre production and then a group taking part in a bowling competition so we needed a third bus.

“The hire company was due to come and pick it up the next morning but all they got was a burned-out shell.”

Mr Winter said after one of their own minibuses was burned out five years ago, Chapel Grange’s two surviving buses were never kept overnight on the school premises.

“It’s much safer to let staff take them home with them after school,” added Mr Winter.

Meanwhile police are investigating Thursday night’s attack.

e-mail: kathie.griffiths @telegraphandargus.co.uk