MINDLESS hooligans have left a school “totally devastated” after they smashed windows on the school’s double-decker bus and breached the wall of a classroom containing asbestos.

Mayflower Primary School, in Main Road, Dovercourt, was targeted on Sunday afternoon by five thugs who caused a catalogue of damage on the site.

One classroom is out of use due to damage to the external wall, which contained asbestos.

It has meant pupils from that class are having to be taught in the school hall for the foreseeable future until specialist contractors are able to make their classroom safe.

Elizabeth Bartholomew, headteacher at the school, said staff and pupils are devastated about the vandalism.

She said: “Whilst we should be focussing upon educating our pupils, we are now having to spend considerable time dealing with organising repairs.

“This damage is having a tremendously negative impact on our children, particularly those who cannot access their classroom, as well as the whole school, who cannot access the playing field due to the smashed glass around the bus.

“Such mindless vandalism has caused a huge amount of inconvenience, stress and difficulties for the school.

“I cannot understand what these youths were trying to achieve.”

CCTV footage shows yobs damaging other school resources, including playing on the playground with the children’s hockey sticks and footballs.

The double-decker bus, which was due to be renovated into a library, was also damaged.

Deputy head Karen Wright said work was due to start on renovating the bus to become a library this spring, but those plans will need to be reviewed.

She said: “I feel so extremely angry. I put so much time into acquiring the bus and this is the second time vandals have damaged it purely for their own enjoyment.”