Vandalism at Glasgow Primary School causes £100,000 of Damage

Posted 13th July 2016 by Helen LeachSt Catherine’s Primary School in Glasgow has been the victim of multiple attacks by vandals which have caused £100,000 of damage.

The vandals have smashed windows, broken into a garden hut and thrown equipment across the playground during the break-ins at the Primary School.

Head Teacher Donna McKay has said: “My staff and I are absolutely devastated at the amount of damage that’s been caused over the past few months but I really feel sorry for my pupils as it’s their learning and their school experience that is being ruined”.

She added: “I worry that eventually someone is going to get seriously hurt as there is always so much broken glass about and they climb all over the roof of the building”.

The result of the damage over the past year has cost more than £100,000 to repair.

Glasgow City Council tried preventative measures to stop the vandalism, including metal grids covering five classroom’s windows.

These were pulled off the walls however, ripping out the PVC frames and the windows were smashed again.

The most recent attack occurred on June 29 which saw three toilet windows, two windows in the school annex and a stairwell window smashed.

The devastating nature of this spate of vandalism against the school highlights the growing importance of schools investing in security to prevent vandalism and break-ins.

In 2015, over £1 Million was spent repairing vandalism in Scottish schools alone.

Last year, we helped Briscoe Lane Academy in Newton Heath secure their school after they suffered persistent vandalism for 12 years – with windows being continuously broken.

Recognising the need for an effective security solution – whilst also wanting the school to look aesthetically pleasing for the students, teachers and the community – Briscoe Lane found their solution in Crimeshield.

Briscoe Lane were more than pleased with the outcome, with Academy Trust Business Manager, Debbie Ollerenshaw stating: “Our Academy is in an area of high deprivation and has suffered from extensive vandalism in the past. We wanted a product that was as aesthetically pleasing as possible within the budgetary constraints. We are very impressed with the end result, it is very subtle”.

With vandalism in schools appearing more and more in the news as of late, now’s the time for local authorities and educational institutions to consider investing in security measures to reduce or eliminate vandalism and cost in the long term.

*Sources http://stv.tv/news/west-central/1360499-vandals-cause-100-000-worth-of-damage-at-primary-school/

If you would like to find out more about protecting your school against vandalism and improving your security, speak to our team of window security specialists on 0161 413 0766 or send us an email.