Staff and pupils at Holy Child Primary in Derry are “devastated” after an attack on their school: 22 windows were smashed between home time on Friday and Sunday evening, causing more than #163;2,000 worth of damage.

Orla McDonnell, principal of the school in the Creggan Estate, said she was “shocked” when she came into school on Monday.

“Holy Child is very much at the heart of this community and local residents have always looked out for this school and taken care of it as they would their own homes,” she said.

“This type of incident is therefore totally alien to us. The greatest shame in all of this is that the huge costs involved in repairing the damage will ultimately mean having fewer resources for our pupils.”

The local community centre was attacked by vandals the previous week. Police are appealing to residents in the area to be vigilant. MR.