| Two 11 year old boys are alleged to have caused damage totalling over £25,000 to the Fir Tree Lane Primary School. The damage resulted from rainwater flooding into the school following damage to roof tiles by the boys, who were caught on site by the police.
Richard Benyon MP for Newbury has taken a personal interest in the vandalism and visited the school on Monday to see at first hand the damage and distress that it had caused to pupils and staff.
Richard was alerted to the incident by a letter which one of the pupils wrote to the Prime Minister which described the pupils’ distress at seeing their school so damaged by this incident.
Richard Benyon said “The courts may not be able to do much with 11 year olds, but I do hope the families of the boys concerned understand the effects of their children’s behaviour. It was so depressing to see the damage done to the children’s school books and artwork. I pay great tribute to the Head Teacher, her staff and pupils for the great spirit shown in this school and for their determination to put this incident behind them and to continue to be a successful local school”. | 
