RESIDENTS who live near to Moorhead High School, Accrington, have protested about the erection of a steel security fence on the grounds that it is unsightly and ineffective.

The school, backed by Lancashire County Council, argues that it has been forced to take such extreme measures because of vandal attacks and threats to staff and pupils.

We can understand the residents being upset by the building of something that smacks of a wartime concentration camp.

But we can also see why the school has been driven to take such extreme security measures.

Moorhead has been subjected to arson attacks and thugs have entered the grounds to deliver threats of violence to both children and staff. One of the residents said a better alternative should have been sought.

But what?

How do you keep sick-minded vandals and violent oafs away from a school?

A 24-hour guard by security teams would be out of the question because of the cost involved.

However, having made the decision to provide a fence it would have made more sense if the authorities had completed it in one operation, rather than leave gaps to be filled in at a later date.

Vandals are not like sharks. They do not turn and retreat at the first hint of a net. They walk round it.

Sadly, such security measures are being deployed around schools up and down the country. And while the fences may not be pretty, the security of our children and those who teach them is paramount.

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