MAINTENANCE staff at Callington Community College were this week working flat out to repair ?appalling? damage by vandals, estimated at more than £30,000. The damage included the smashing of 64 windows, 20 doors, the windows of three minibuses and damage to security cameras and lights. A storage shed was also demolished and items thrown into the pool, and a resident?s car on site suffered extensive damage. Bricks, stones and iron bars were thought to have been used in the attack. Police were contacted by a member of the public reporting suspicious noises at the college at 2.30am on Monday. The first officer at the scene, who arrived within minutes, managed single-handedly to detain six people on the site and supporting officers arrested a further two trying to flee from the scene. Their ages ranged from 13 to 20. Chairman of governors Peter Lee said it was ?absolutely appalling?. ?I can?t understand people?s minds. I can imagine why people might steal if they were desperate, but why smash things?? he said. ?And don?t their parents know they?re out at that time of night?? ?We have had just minor vandalism in the past. Normally, they just break in and steal something. We have never experienced anything of this magnitude.? Mr Lee said it was not just the school that was affected, as the college was used by the community. All the maintenance staff were employed clearing up and boarding up windows and glaziers were called to replace the special glass. Mr Lee said he estimated it would take maintenance staff about a week to complete the work. They were in the process of changing and converting some rooms at the college to provide new courses ? some of the rooms also having been damaged ? and the delay would cause problems. ?The automatic doors in the new reception area, which has only been open a year, were smashed, and the new pavilion and changing room doors and windows were also smashed. ?They just went along whole sides of the building smashing the windows,? he said. All those arrested were taken to Launceston police station, apart from one 20-year-old male, who was taken by ambulance to Derriford Hospital as he had sustained an injury. He was subsequently arrested at lunchtime on Monday. The others were teenagers aged between 13 and 19.
