Dish the dirt on digger lout

The burned-out digger at the scene after railings were ripped up and a new extension damaged

A COUNCILLOR has called on the community to help bring to justice a vandal who went on a digger rampage at Stoneleigh Primary School.

The culprit broke into a builder’s compound at the Derker school on Sunday evening and managed to start a mini-digger being used by contractors working on a £1.1 million refurbishment.

The lout used the digger bucket to rip out steel perimeter fencing, leaving it in a mangled heap, and hit a wall in a new reception and nursery extension, knocking out some of the bricks.

When contractors arrived to start work on Monday morning they had to hold off and wait for police to start their investigations.

Firefighters were called after smoke was spotted coming from within the school grounds, and crews arrived to find the digger on fire, and flames licking the plastic guttering of the new extension.

Watch manager Mark Williams, from Oldham Fire Station, praised the prompt action of the caller, which meant the fire could be contained before spreading further into the school building.

The smashed bricks were above head height, and thought to have been caused by a swing of the digger bucket.

The fear was the high-powered whack could have caused some structural damage, and plaster on the internal wall in toilets which had only just been put on, was cracked. Contractors were expecting to have to take the toilets out to mend the wall, but were waiting for further instruction.

Councillor Hugh McDonald, cabinet member for children, young people, families, leisure and culture, said the incident would inevitably slow down building work, but described it as “a hiccup,” and said he still hoped it would be completed in time for the start of the autumn term.

Calling on the culprit’s parents to take some responsibility for their child’s actions, he added: “I hope the community will also take some responsibility for finding whoever did this.

“It’s all the local children and families who will suffer from this action against their local school.

“And I would urge anyone who can help the police find out who did it, to contact them.”

In June, the go-ahead for the redevelopment was hailed as a new dawn for Derker after work had previously ground to a halt, putting the school’s future in doubt. The Government’s decision to withdraw Housing Market Renewal (HMR) funding had caused the council to review the scheme.

Anyone who has any information about the incident should contact police on 0161-872 5050 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111