A HEADTEACHER today revealed that vandals are wreaking havoc at her school -- but a shortage of cash is hampering efforts to improve security.

Elaine Grimshaw, head of St Mary and St Joseph's RC Primary School in Bennington Street, Blackburn, was disgusted when she arrived at school after the weekend to find seven windows smashed, paint splattered all over the children's work and in the corridors and broken bottles scattered across the playground.

Last weekend, a fire was started outside the entrance to the reception class and mattresses were dumped nearby.

Mrs Grimshaw said: "It's traumatic for the children and the staff. The children were upset as they had to walk down the corridor and see all their work covered in black paint. We regularly get windows broken every weekend, and we just don't know what to expect when we arrive back at school on a Monday."

She added that the school is currently at the top of the list for a grant to buy a security camera, which she hopes they will receive later this month.

But they are having to provide £2,000 from school funds to help pay for the measure.

Two security guards were drafted in to patrol the site over the two-week Christmas period, but the school could not afford to employ them full-time. Education bosses have admitted that there is not enough money to meet the £17,000 cost of installing a full CCTV system. Mrs Grimshaw said: "The school has just had a really good Ofsted inspection, and had done really well, and then this happens. It's got worse over the past few weeks, maybe because of the lighter nights."

The doors at the back of the school have been reinforced with sheet metal to prevent more damage.

Peter Morgan, assistant director of education and training at Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "The council has secured Government funding of £77,000 to provide added security at schools across the borough. Unfortunately we have more than 80 premises and the cost of installing CCTV equipment is around £17,000 per school so this is way short of what is needed.

"It is sad to say, but the situation at this school is no worse than any other in the same area. The school is in line to receive some council funding to improve security although it is church aided and the governing body may need to find any additional funds."

Anyone with any information should contact police on 01254 51212.

School secretary Wendy Bell is pictured surveying the damage in a ransacked classroom.

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