The extent of the vandalism at St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School in Bingley is shocking. The catalogue of anti-social behaviour described by the head teacher is truly appalling on any scale of values. The school is effectively under siege from these yobs who seem to have no respect for property and even less for their fellow human beings - in this case young children who are entitled to spend their primary school years in a safe, hygienic and protective environment.

The reaction of the head teacher in calling for the whole site to be ringed by an eight-foot fence is wholly understandable. She is quite right to want to protect the school property and try to keep the school and its environment clean for her young charges.

However, the reaction of local residents to the idea of such an extreme remedy is understandable too. What is currently a reasonably pleasant outlook across the school playing fields would be severely compromised by an eight-foot fence.

Perhaps more effort needs to be put into finding a compromise which might include improved policing and possibly security patrols. Or perhaps local residents, in return for not having the fence put up in their line of vision, would be willing to provide their own ring of steel around the school by forming themselves into a Neighbourhood Watch, with police support, to keep an eye on the activities of these disgusting tearaways and help to provide a safer environment for their and their neighbours' children.