Vandals cover school walls in hatred

Aug 15 2008 by Jenny Wood, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

SHOCKING graffiti daubed on the walls of a Perth primary school has been branded “despicable” by police.

During the summer holidays walls, picnic tables and shelters at Kinnoull Primary School have been used by yobs to vent their extreme feelings – often sinisterly explicit – on race, sex and religion.

Disgusted by the extent and content of the vandalism Detective Chief Inspector Bruce Kerr, the head of Tayside Police’s criminal investigation department for Perth and Kinross, has vowed to find those responsible for leaving such a malicious mark on the local primary.

“It was despicable the tone of wording used, especially since children aged between five and 11 could have seen this going back to the school within days,” he hit out.

“I am appalled at this, it was such a calculated and heinous crime,” slammed the senior officer.

And he vowed: “We will find the people responsible. We are not going to let this one rest.”

In an effort to try and identify those responsible for the antagonistic ‘artwork’ and find out more about the crime, police have released some of the names daubed on the school property. They include ‘Mark Lloyd’, ‘GC 4 life’ and ‘Penny woz ere 08’.

The nature of some of the phrases scrawled across the school is so distasteful that we wouldn’t print them. The vandalism contains references to several racial and religious groups as well as graphical accounts of a sexual nature.

Kinnoull Primary was secured for the summer holidays and those responsible have climbed onto the property sometime since the school was last checked on July 18.

Police are appealing for anyone who saw anything suspicious at the school, believes they may know the people responsible or has any information which could help the investigation, to contact them by calling 0845 600 5705. Information can also be passed on to police via Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.