Late-night vandals caused carnage in the playground of Cornton Primary over the weekend - leaving rubbish and equipment strewn across the school’s grounds.
The damage is believed to have taken place in the early hours between Saturday evening and Sunday morning, with the aftermath seeing a hippo’s head bin thrown across the road from the school into a nearby road verge.
A local resident took pictures of the damage from 6.30am on Sunday morning and said he had heard noises during the course of the night, ascribing it as youngsters having a bit of fun after returning from the city centre.
The resident blasted the “thoughtless, mindless” actions of those responsible for the damage - with the damage having taken more than a hour to clear up and replace the equipment as best as possible.
They told the Observer: “I was taking the dog for a walk on Sunday morning and that’s when I saw the extent of the carnage.
“We heard some noise on the Saturday and it seemed to go on for about 15 minutes but we couldn’t see anything from where we were.
“The hippo head thing had been thrown and possibly landed on the road at first before someone has maybe moved it on to the verge, the pencil bin was moved as well and there was litter everywhere - cider and pizza boxes.
“I thought it was maybe just kids returning from watching the football and being a bit noisy, but whoever was responsible must have been kicking over buckets.
“These people ought be ashamed of themselves it is disgusting behaviour with no regard for others. I hope they are caught and dealt with.”
A spokesperson for Stirling Council said: “We can confirm that some litter bins and plant pots were overturned and rubbish discarded within the grounds of Cornton Primary School on Saturday night (June 17).
“The dedicated school janitor, helped by a member of the school community, cleaned up the mess over the weekend, ensuring the grounds were neat and tidy for children and staff returning on Monday.
“It’s really disappointing to see this mindless act of vandalism at one of our schools and we would urge anyone with information to contact the Police. Enhanced security measures are in place at the school including CCTV.”
