PARK High School has become the latest Pendle school to be hit by thieves.

Over £1,500 worth of laptops were taken when thieves smashed their way into the Venables Avenue building in Colne.

It is the latest in a spate of incidents at schools and education chiefs are calling on people living nearby to be vigilant.

County Councillor Susie Charles, cabinet member for children and schools blasted the thieves as “despicable”.

She said: “I was very disappointed to hear about the latest theft from Colne Park High School and my heart goes out to the pupils and staff there.

“I always feel that stealing from schools is a particularly despicable act, because in effect it’s stealing from young people, who rely on school equipment bought with taxpayers’ money.

“I should like to ask residents who live near schools to support us by being particularly vigilant and reporting any suspicious activity to the police.”

The latest incident happened at around 6pm on Sunday.

In one week in July St John Fisher and St Thomas More Catholic Humanities College in Colne was targeted three times by thieves with computer equipment worth nearly £8,500 being stolen.

On each occasional windows on school building were forced open.

In September would-be thieves targeted Rosegrove Nursery School, in Havelock Street, Burnley, but made off empty-handed.

In 2009 TVs were stolen from Pendle View Primary School, in Town House Road, Nelson and significant damage was caused to the premises.

Seven laptops were stolen from Broadfield Specialist School, in Oswaldtwistle, in November 2009, costing the school £2,800.