A crackdown on child vandals has been launched by the Leicester Mercury.

The move – to galvanise community action against attacks and a provide a free telephone hotline to report incidents – comes as schools are bracing themselves for summertime trouble.

The Mercury got involved after it found five schools in Braunstone village were joining forces to spend thousands of pounds employing private security patrols while buildings were left vulnerable during the school holidays.

They could provide the evidence needed to bring offenders to justice.

The paper has revealed how vandalism attacks – sometimes by children as young as four and five playing with older ones – are hitting inner city schools at the rate of one every working day.

Damage to the premises has included arson, break-ins, smashed windows and damaged classrooms in attacks which often leaves work by youngsters in tatters.

In a tough-talking lead article and inside-spread the Mercury said the problem was a scourge that was costing schools tens of thousands of pounds and “breaking the hearts of teachers and pupils”.

Readers are being asked to keep their eyes peeled and call the special hotline number if they see anything suspicious.

Leaflets have already been distributed among parents and residents in an effort to get the message across.

The Mercury’s editorial column told them: “One school has been so plagued by vandals that this year it has had to spend the equivalent of a teacher’s salary in repairs.

“That is why today we have launched a campaign to get the community to work together to cut the number of vandal attacks over the coming weeks.

“Local security firm Elite Securitas has teamed up with the Mercury to try to raise awareness of the problem and to put up signs and posters asking people to be on the lookout for vandals.

“We have also sponsored a Freephone telephone number to encourage people who knows about any vandal attacks or sees anything suspicious to ring.

“The schools in Braunstone have a tough enough job with the limited amount of funds without having to waste them on an unnecessary drain on resources.”

Staff say this year has been one of the worst for vandal attacks.

Ian Varey, head at one of the schools involved, estimated the cost of vandal attacks on his site and a neighbouring infants’ school topped £20,000 a year.

He told the Mercury: “We hope to get prosecutions in the next six-to-eight weeks. If we can, word will soon get around that we are very serious about this problem.”

Elite Security’s 50-strong team of officers is working closely with the police.

Braunstone beat officer Pc Eleanor Linney urged residents and parents to be vigilant.

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