CALLOUS vandals, intent on wrecking a school and injuring pupils, could soon find themselves caught in the act on spy cameras.

Thugs have been attacking St Mary's and St Benedict's school in Brownedge Lane, Bamber Bridge for years and their latest ploy has been to smash bottles and plant them, jagged edge up, in the field so unsuspecting youngsters will cut themselves if they sit or fall on them.

But thanks to a £9,000 government grant, closed circuit television could soon put an end to it. Headteacher Mike Sugden revealed the extent of the damage: "We've had broken windows, smashed glass, vandalism, graffiti and theft. On one occasion they broke 35 windows in the school. The caretaker has to sweep the field every morning for glass."

St Mary's and St Benedict's is one of only two primary schools in the North West to have been awarded money for the scheme.

But CCTV is just one of several security measures the school has tried. So far it's been fitted with:

controlled lighting;

shatterproof windows, later replaced by laminated and then poly-carbon windows;

intruder alarms;

doors with galvanised metal plates;

boarded up windows and

security gates and fences.

It's all been to no avail and the attacks have continued regardless. "One thing that we haven't managed to do is catch the villains," said Mr Sugden, "We have a good idea who is doing it but we never have any evidence. So the CCTV should allow us to identify them."

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