THIEVES who caused thousands of pounds of damage at two schools have been branded ‘disgusting’ and ‘selfish’.

Raids were carried out at Newtown Nursery School and Christ Church CE Primary School, both in Colne, with ‘substantial damage’ left at both.

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Newtown Nursery was unable to open to pupils yesterday morning, while staff at Christ Church had to clean up wreckage in preparation for it’s nativity play to go ahead last night.

Police said they were linking the incidents and were examining CCTV from both burglaries.

PC Nigel Keates, of Colne Police, said: “The children are very distressed.

“We are looking at selfish unbecoming people.

“It causes distress to children because they think this will happen to them when they go home.

“It’s especially worrying for them at Christmas when they have presents at home. It terrifies them.

“These are schools which are trying to educate and help the community and there are one or two people who are trying to destroy it.

“I would appeal for anyone with information to get in contact as soon as possible so whoever has done this can be found and dealt with.”

No descriptions of the burglars have been released and no arrests have been made.

Waterside ward councillor Dorothy Lord, who is a governor at Newtown Nursery, said: “I rang the nursery to see what had happened and they said thieves had absolutely ransacked the place.

“It’s absolutely despicable that people can do this and think it’s acceptable. It is not.

“It’s the tax payers who will have to pay for it at the end of the day.”

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson said: “It’s absolutely disgusting for someone to target schools at any time of year, but particularly in the run up to Christmas.

“It’s completely maddening that anyone would attempt to do this and I hope the police catch whoever is responsible as soon as possible.”

The first incident happened at Newtown Nursery School in West Street at 8pm on Monday, police said.

Thieves are believed to have smashed a window to get in to the school, trashed doors and stolen a laptop. They also ransacked a number of offices and threw cabinets around.

The nursery reopened yesterday afternoon.

Police said the second incident happened at Christ Church CE Primary in Keighley Road two hours later.

Thieves pulled off a security light and smashed a window to the rear of the school.

Officers said the thieves then damaged a number of internal doors to get in to the reception classroom and made an unsuccessful attempt to steal a safe.

They also damaged a security alarm.

Last year thieves also broke in and stole cash from children’s nativity play tickets.

The school’s business manager Sue Hirons said: “They have done it for cash.

“Fortunately they didn’t actually get anything this time.

“Last time they broke in they got away with all the money from the nativity show tickets and I think they were trying to do it again.

“The reception class are upset because they have been moved out of their classroom and in to the hall but we’ve managed to keep the rest of the children away from it.

“I would ask anyone with information to contact the police.”

Anyone with information about the burglaries should call police on 101.