Parents at Carmyle Primary School in Glasgow plead for CCTV after spate of vandal attacks

Parents and guardians of the kids at Carmyle Primary School have become “fed up” of watching the outdoor play area become “trashed”. 

The tots’ outdoor imagination station was subjected to a vile attack only last Tuesday with the play facility “completely ruined”. 

The incident is the most recent in a spate of vandalism sprees at the East End primary, with the parent council warning the playground is being targeted every time the kids go on holiday. 

Sharon Smith, who is a member of Carmyle Primary’s Parent Council, said: “Historically, throughout the years every break – and that includes Easter, summer and Christmas – the school is hit with vandalism.

“We report it and we try to do things about it but we realistically, we need CCTV to deter it from happening again. We are becoming fed up of these incidents.

“We have suffered damages in the past but this time, the outdoor learning facility was completely ruined.”

Funds for the imagination station - a sensory space that can be used for story time and activities - were raised by the parents and teachers themselves. 

Sharon added: “We were going to buy some more of these facilities but the thing is, is that we are buying these things for the children and they are continuously getting trashed.

“The parent council fundraised really hard last year to get this facility, but it just puts you off every time it gets trashed. 

“We really want the council to provide us with CCTV instead of putting a plaster over it and we really need better lighting to light the place up in the evenings.”

In October last year, we revealed how mindless vandals caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to Carmyle Primary. 

Carmyle Primary School

It soon emerged that youths had entered the facility during the school break and snapped off nearly 80 tiles from the building’s roof and smashed them over the playground area.

At the time, the parent council asked the police to step up extra patrols around the school and for the local authority to install better lighting and CCTV cameras.  

“The kids are getting upset about it”, said Sharon. 

“We managed to clean up the last incident of vandalism but this time, they can see and feel it because it was a facility that they used to play with. 

“They don’t understand why it keeps happening. 

“It is a great community but sometimes we do feel as though we are forgotten about because of where are and it isn’t fair on the kids.

“Some of these kids could live in flats where they don’t have access to outdoor play areas, it just isn’t fair on any of them.”

Local councillor Thomas Kerr described the mindless acts as “senseless behaviour” and joined in on calls for the installation of CCTV. 

He said: “After the vandalism experienced by Carmyle Primary last year, I was shocked to hear that the school has once again been subjected to such senseless anti-social behaviour. Those responsible have no respect for pupils and parents who take great pride in their school environment.

“I have reiterated my request for the council to install CCTV cameras to deter this kind of barbaric behaviour and to help identify perpetrators of any future attack.

“The community deserves no less than swift and decisive action to stop vandalism of our local schools.”

Sharon added: “It is soul-destroying, every single break you know this is going to happen and we shouldn’t expect it but we do. It is completely preventable.

“I’m all about prevention and I do believe if CCTV and lighting is installed it will make vandals think twice. 

“Our community is really tight knitted - it affects us all every time this happens.”

Damage to St Catherine's Primary School

The school is the second in Glasgow to be hit by cruel vandals in the last week. 

Shocking images emerged on Thursday of damages caused to St Catherine’s Primary School in Barmulloch. 

Mindless louts smashed the windows of the North Glasgow primary while drainage pipes were torn from a downstairs classroom. 

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “Vandalism of any sort in our schools is disgusting and the blame lies squarely with the mindless culprits.

“Unfortunately CCTV is not the answer as we’ve found over the years that this does not act as a deterrent for the people who carry out these senseless acts – they just cover up their identities if they see cameras.

“Officers have been out to the school and have no reports of issues with the boundary fences or access to the grounds out with school hours.

“Our schools rely on the goodwill of the community to report any anti-social behaviour in the area to the local police and call out the vandals for what they are and the impact and damage their actions cause.

“Extra patrols of the school have been instigated after the spate of issues.”