School gates close after burglars cause floods

27/11/2008

Staff at a primary school in Rochdale have been forced to close its gates temporarily as it battles to repair damage done by burglars.

Pupils at Moorhouse Primary School in Milnrow were turned away from the school gates yesterday because the site had been flooded after thieves broke in and stole copper piping.

Head teacher Richard Lee told Rochdale Online: "Even our electrical system was down, so we couldn’t make calls to inform people of the chaos. We had teachers stood at the school gates turning people away."

The main part of the school is expected to remain closed until next week at the earliest, with police and firecrews working to repair the damage done by the vandals.

Mr Lee added that he hoped CCTV footage would provide information about who was responsible for the crime.

Elsewhere, Nigel Miller, vice-president of the National Farmers Union, has told the Border Telegraph that the rise in the number of thefts of field gates as a result of increased scrap prices poses a risk to both humans and livestock.