CHILDREN at a Whitefield primary school were forced to sit through lessons in their winter coats after vandals went on a window-smashing rampage.

In the attack on Heaton Park CP School during Tuesday night (Jan 16) thugs shattered classroom and corridor windows before breaking in to the building to cause more damage.

Once inside they went on a wrecking spree, throwing equipment and furniture around classrooms. They also smashed another window with a chair. Caretaking staff discovered the chaos early on Wednesday morning and teachers immediately began a major clean up operation so the school could continue with lessons. Headteacher Maureen Gunnell slammed those responsible for the attack.

"I am shocked and disappointed that someone could do something like this purely for entertainment," she said. "They have caused needless damage."

She said one of the classrooms, which had been "thoroughly trashed", was completely out of bounds on Wednesday as shards of glass had scattered in the children's toys and equipment. Other pupils had to keep their coats on against the cold in the classrooms because of the broken windows and even the toughened and laminated glass had been splintered.

Miss Gunnell added: "We have been using any available space to continue as normal.

"If it wasn't for the staff helping to clean up the mess we would have been forced to close the school for the day.

"It took a lot of us to get the rooms ready and make sure there was no glass around."

She said the repair bill, estimated to be more than £1,000, would have to come out of school funds.

"That money is needed for other things. Everyone is shocked and the children are disappointed. At the end of the day it is the little ones they are hurting."

Police confirmed vandals had broken seven windows at the school and threw equipment around the classrooms.