A HEAD teacher has hit out at vandals who have trashed her school’s outdoor classroom.

A wooden climbing frame was smashed to pieces, an outdoor chalk board ripped off the wall, the lid of a sand tray broken and a water table was ruined after the yard at Holy Souls RC Primary School in Blackburn was broken into during the weekend.

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Guttering was pulled down, daffodil bulbs planted by the children were pulled out of a tray, a storage unit smashed and the toys contained in it strewn around the yard.

The estimated cost of the damage to the area, which is used by children in the reception class aged four to five-years-old, is believed to be around £1,000.

Danielle Ellison, head teacher at the school in Wilworth Crescent, said pupils had been left devastated by the damage.

She added that the school has had problems with people using the yard as a place to gather and drink alcohol.

Staff have been finding empty glass bottles on and off for two months.

Mrs Ellison said: “We came in this morning and were utterly shocked by the damage.

“The whole yard has been trashed.

“They’ve broken everything, including a climbing frame that the kids absolutely loved.

“It has been so badly broken that it is irreparable.

“Cigarette ends were also left lying around.

“All the pupils are really upset that someone has done this to their space.

“They don’t understand why anyone would want to do it to them.”

The school said it would be forced to claim the money on its insurance, but would also have to pay an excess.

The head teacher said the school also planned to beef up security by paying for CCTV cameras and new shutters.

She added: “It is part of the curriculum that the children have this facility.

“We will be able to clear the area up but it will take a while to get everything replaced on the insurance.

“The money spent on the insurance excess and the security measures will have to come out of money that should be spent on the children.

“We just do not understand why someone would do this.

“They get nothing out of it and yet the children suffer from it.”

A spokesman for Lancashire police said: “An investigation is currently ongoing in relation to criminal damage which happened at some point during the weekend at Holy Souls RC Primary School.

“Anyone with information should call police on 101.”