A GROUP of masked youths was caught on CCTV wrecking a school building.

They kicked, punched and threw a hammer at 22 school windows causing £3,000 worth of damage during the night.

The headteacher of Bovington Middle School arrived to find glass shattered across his corridors and near the gym.

He checked the school’s CCTV system to saw youngsters wrecking the building.

At first a pair of hooded youths arrived and karate kicked and punched at some of the corridor windows before fleeing.

The returned an hour later with a third youngster and a hammer.

This time the trio – believed to be around 14-16 years old – repeatedly threw the hammer at the building and jumped through the smashed windows each time to retrieve it.

Headteacher Keith Sutton arrived at the school in Cologne Road on Sunday morning to transport runners to a Race For Life charity event when he saw the glass.

He said: “The corridor was like a battle scene with the glass shattered everywhere.”

“As well as the obvious cost and inconvenience this totally unacceptable behaviour is an insult to the children, the school and the wider community and they deserve better than this.”

The vandalism early on Sunday is the eighth time since October that the school has been targeted and although they already have 13 CCTV cameras and a burglar alarm a further £7,000 is being spent to buy three more cameras with infra red and emergency lighting.

The school is due to be closed in August, 2013 when Purbeck’s three-tier school system is reduced to two.

Mr Sutton added: “They were not trying to get in they are just targeting breaking the windows.

“It’s mindless. They are probably 14, 15 or 16 and out between 2am and 4am but they must live with their parents.

“This school has worked hard to promote education in Bovington and the community.”

He added: “They must be brought to justice and be prepared to accept the consequence of their actions.”

The school currently has 236 pupils aged between nine and 13 years old so it is thought the vandals are too old to be present pupils. The CCTV footage is being circulated to the Purbeck school in case the teachers might recognise the offenders.

Police have been investigating blood from the scene where one of the youths cut themselves on a broken window.

The CCTV shows the pair of youths arrive at the school at 2.39am with the three coming back at 4am. From the total of 22 windows smashed two of them were larger door windows costing £500 each to replace.

Police Constable Adam Taylor, of Wareham Police, said: “A significant amount of damage has been caused to the school and this will no doubt be costly to repair.

“This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated.”

Witnesses and anyone with information can call PC Taylor on 01305 22 22 22 – quoting incident number 22:200.