Wiltshire school gets CCTV after spate of 'lockdown' vandalism
West Lavington primary helped by grant of over £7,000.
Dauntsey Academy Primary School has been helped to get a state of the art security camera system after its grounds were attacked by vandals during lockdown.
It's planned that the new CCTV will be installed in the coming weeks. It was paid for by a joint grant of £7,156 from West Lavington Parish Council and Wiltshire Council.
VANDAL ATTACKS
The police have been called to the school multiple times during lockdown after sheds and stores were broken into and their contents thrown across the grounds and vandalised – which took its caretaker two hours every time to clear and make safe for pupils.
SCHOOL PLEA FOR HELP
At the Devizes Area Board last Monday (Nov 16 2020) councillors heard the school's plea and unanimously voted to award grant.
Dauntsey Academy Primary's headteacher, Philippa Winbolt said the school was incredibly grateful for the grant and that it was heartbreaking to see the damage week on week.
"We see it as a whole community thing,” she said. “I think that’s been recognised by Wiltshire Council and the area board in awarding us this grant."
"This means it will continue to be a safe place for all of our children to come to school. What’s been lovely for us, as a school, is having members of the parish council and my governors working so hard for the good of the school and the community."
Dominic Muns, a parish councillor in West Lavington helped with the bid:
"Wiltshire Council and the parish council are providing 50 per cent of the grant each. The crux of the application is that it’s a community project and not something that just benefits the school."
"The school has had issues of vandalism but its an extension of on-going antisocial behaviour on the recreation ground, which is just the other side of the fence. As a community, I firmly believe we must stand together to drive out antisocial behaviour."
It has been very difficult to secure the grounds outside of school hours and during the holidays. The school fence, play equipment, BMX track and football goals have also been subjected to vandalism in the last year, and the Parish Council had been left to clear the aftermath.
The new state-of-the-art CCTV system will also cover more of the area along with cameras on the village hall.