WHY would anyone want to vandalise a school?

It’s such a pointless crime – what have you achieved by smashing windows, breaking fence panels and throwing plant pots across a playground?

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Staff and pupils at Cherry Orchard Primary School work hard to make their premises a nice place to be, and the vandals who caused such damage there should think about the sadness they have caused to the children and adults associated with that school.

One of the problems with deterring vandalism is that the culprits, when caught, rarely face a severe punishment – it’s usually a relatively small fine, paid off in weekly or monthly instalments.

Sentencing guidelines for magistrates start at a Band B fine (75-125 per cent of the culprit’s weekly income) for ‘minor damage’ such as smashing a small window, and extend to a 26-week prison term for damage costing up to £10,000 to repair.

However, if there were tougher punishments for vandalism, such as a one-week prison sentence or bigger fines, people would think twice before carrying out their attacks.