Staff at a Hamilton nursery turned up to find their outside garden space wrecked by vandals.
St Elizabeth’s Nursery School in Eddlewood found the place ripped apart after arriving to prepare for the new session in August.
“We are devastated – absolutely shocked that anyone could stoop so low,” said a spokesperson.
“This will cost thousands of pounds to sort out.
“We fund all the things in the garden for the children ourselves and everything we worked hard to provide this year has been destroyed.”
Damage done by the mindless vandals included white paint poured all over a playhouse, a cover ripped off a water tray, furniture being smashed and thrown around and cabinets toppled over.
An aqua-duct which cost hundreds of pounds was destroyed and plants were ripped out and strewn around the place.
“The saddest thing is that these people don’t recognise that it is the children who will miss out. It has the biggest impact on them,” said the spokesperson. The spokesperson also reckons that it may well fall to the nursery and the community to rally round and raise funds to replace items so that the youngsters don’t miss out come the start of the new term.
“It’s really just soul-destroying when stuff like this happens because so many people have worked hard to provide the best environment possible for our kids,” she added. South Lanarkshire Council’s education operations manager Des Dickson said: “It was with great sadness that the staff at St Elizabeth’s Nursery discovered that their site was broken into.
“Youths gained access to the external playground for the school and nursery, and damaged some of the resources, overturning tables, and covering the football pitch with a large amount of debris. The youths broke the new lock of the door to the football pitch, left smashed glass on the pitch, overturned planters and other pieces of equipment, and broke outdoor play equipment.
“Nursery staff had worked hard to develop a stimulating outdoor learning environment for the children, so the loss was a devastating blow.
“These areas had been left unusable by the mindless vandalism and the loss of the outdoor learning resources is particularly sore to bear.
“We would like to pay tribute to the nursery staff and janitor who have pulled together to clean up the play areas.
“Members of the Eddlewood community should be encouraged to report in confidence any information they may have to Police Scotland to help with their inquiries into the incidents.”
