VANDALS targeting a Central Fife school have defecated in nursery sheds, lit fires in its grounds and damaged equipment in repeated incidents over recent months.
Ailsa Swankie, headteacher of Lumphinnans Primary, has called on residents living near the school to report any suspicious activity to police after becoming increasingly frustrated with the damage caused.
"It is really disheartening for the staff," she said. "The staff put a huge amount of time and effort to make it an engaging place for the children.
"We have had several incidents primarily during the school holiday periods. We have had fires lit in the garden, we have had both sheds broken into, windows smashed and wooden furniture thrown around and broken. We have also had people defecating in the sheds, using it as a toilet.
"It is generally at holiday time and occasionally at a weekend as well. We have had a lot of incidents over a period of time of people stealing wheelie bins, bringing them through the school grounds and setting fire to them.
"When we have had the fires in the nursery gardens, it is definitely things that have been brought from outwith the school."
The incidents have been reported to Police and Fife Council's Safer Communities Team.
Mrs Swankie added: "We just want to urge anyone who lives near the school to contact the police if they see people hanging round the school."
Local councillor Darren Watt said he had, so far unsuccessfully, asked that the possibility of CCTV be looked at to help target the issue.
"Disappointedly, Fife Council Education department have not been as supportive as we would have liked," he said.
"One thing we had been putting forward, the parent council, the community council and local councillors, have been investigating is if CCTV could be an option but there has just been no real positive approach regarding that from education.
"It is not an isolated incident at Lumphinnans, It seems to be happening throughout the area.
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"It is largely down to the fact that a lot of the young people have free bus travel throughout Fife and Scotland. They are using the opportunity to pop on and off the number 19 bus and going from town to town and village to village causing mayhem not only on the bus but in the towns and villages.
"It it not even local young people. It could be young people from as far as Ballingry or Rosyth and anywhere in between causing the issue. It is having a knock-on effect as police can't pinpoint where they will be. It is a moving target."
Cllr Watt said he has been working with police, Fife Council and community councils to look at solutions which could stamp out ongoing issues in the area which include wheelie bins regularly being set alight.
"It is an important issue to address," he said. "There are wider aspects that are beyond our area. If we are trying to do anything we can at a local level, the reality is, there is not enough police on the ground.
"Even if there was enough police on the ground, there doesn't seem to be much consequence for irresponsible actions. There is not really any way of sending any message that their their behaviour, whether harassment, bullying, vandalism has an impact on communities. Until that is addressed at a government level, it is an ongoing issue."
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