TEACHERS and pupils at a special needs school are devastated after vandals struck for the second time in the space of a year.

Damage was caused to two minibuses belonging to Hexham Priory School over the weekend of May 11, causing disruption to the children’s planned activities the following week.

It comes a year on from widespread damage caused to the school’s new sensory garden, which cost thousands of pounds.

The latest damage, which occurred some time between 5.30pm on Friday, May 10 and 8.15am on Monday, May 13, saw vandals access the school site on Hexham’s Corbridge Road and smash the rear lights of the two buses.

As a result, a residential trip to Kielder for some of the pupils was in jeopardy. However, members of staff who were insured to transport pupils stepped in to ensure the trip went ahead as planned, although this caused disruption to pupils with other plans during the week.

Liz Davison, headteacher at the school, said: “We usually have three buses which we use all the time throughout the day because students do many activities, like horse riding, but we couldn’t transport some having two buses out of action.

“Fortunately, they were fixed and back with us after two days but it was certainly a great shame, and worry, for the pupils.

“We should be grateful the damage wasn’t worse, but it was really disappointing that it has happened again. I am deeply saddened this has happened as our buses are such a vital part of what we do, and we are just very fortunate it didn’t compromise our students greater.”

Mrs Davison praised her staff for rallying around to ensure the disruption caused to the children was minimal.

She said: “Fortunately, we have very willing staff here who have insured their cars to transport children if they need to.

“If we never had the staff willing to help out, we wouldn’t have been able to cope and the children would have missed out. I wouldn’t want to think how upsetting that would be for them, and the staff.”

A spokesman for Northumbria Police said a report of criminal damage was reported by the school on May 13.

He confirmed that officers discovered the rear lights to the two buses had been smashed when the school had been closed for the weekend.

Anyone with information is asked to contact 101, quoting reference 508 of the 13/05/19, or Crimestoppers anonymously on (0800) 555111.