JUST days after a school's community garden in Innerleithen was ransacked by thugs, a primary play area in Peebles has been targeted by vandals.

Priorsford's Fairy Garden, which was established in the school grounds over the past year, was badly damaged last weekend.

A group of four youths were captured on CCTV hauling a child's scooter out of a locked shed before it was thrown off the school roof.

The quartet continued their rampage by smashing all the hanging glass baubles with sticks.

On Monday morning pupils returned to the school to discover the damage.

Keith Russell, depute head teacher at Priorsford, told us: "The Primary one and two pupils returned to school today to find their Fairy Garden smashed and broken.

"Over the weekend someone had come in and smashed all the glass baubles that they had used to decorate an area of the playground used to develop their imaginative, small-world play.

"Pupils and staff at the school are understandably very disappointed."

It is understood that the four vandals have been identified from the CCTV footage.

Although police officers have been informed of the damage, the school has decided not to press charges and has asked for all four to be given warnings.

Mr Russell is keen to encourage community use of the school's playground.

But he is also calling for a stop to the mindless damage which has plagued both his school and St Ronan's in Innerleithen.

Mr Russell added: "We are very much part of the community and we want people to use our playground.

"However, we also expect them to look after it.

"We are a Rights Respecting school and we have invested a lot of time and money to create a playground that supports the right to play, however people must respect that this environment has to be kept safe and free from harm.

"Fortunately, to support pupil safety and security, the school has comprehensive CCTV coverage.

"This was used to identify the culprits and they will be spoken to by the police."