Happy Valley Primary School windows broken by more than 100 golf balls
Vandals have gone on a rampage at Happy Valley Primary School overnight, smashing windows and trashing a room.
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Vandals have ransacked a primary school in Adelaide’s south overnight, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage with golf balls.
Police are investigating after about 27 windows were smashed at Happy Valley Primary School, believed to be caused by thrown golf balls.
Patrols were called to the school about 11.45pm on Monday after reports of banging noises within the grounds.
Officers found about 27 damaged windows and more than 100 golf balls, as well as damaged cabinets inside a building.
The Education Rd school has been subject to vandalism and break-ins on a number of occasions over the past six months.
School principal Paul Taylor said he was disappointed by the damage.
“The extent of the damage has been assessed and we are working with the Department for Education and the contractors on site to repair the damage,” he said.
“Happy Valley Primary School has a strong community.
“Events such as this will not damage our vibrant school spirit and we look forward to the start of the school year on 29 January.”
Education Minister Blair Boyer said he was outraged by the property damage, estimating it could cost “probably tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money”.
“This is absolutely disgusting behaviour,” he said. “This kind of stuff is stupid and mindless.”
Mr Boyer vowed to put in place measures to ensure similar vandalism didn’t occur again.
“I’ve already asked the security warden of the school to see what other things we need to do to stop these kind of idiots doing things like this again,” he said
“When you hear about adults vandalising and damaging things, their young minds don’t understand why adults would do that.”
No arrests have been made.
Mark Crowe, operations manager of The Vines Golf Club of Reynella, said it wasn’t the first case of vandalism in the area, with the golf club also attacked.
“We’ve had damage around the course to sprinklers and other infrastructure,” he said.
Mr Crowe has since been shown a picture of one of the golf balls found in the school and was able to match it with those provided to golfers at his driving range.
While the vandals weren’t seen on The Vines’ CCTV entering the golf course, Mr Crowe believes that those responsible for his damage are also to blame for the Happy Valley Primary School wreckage.
“I can only assume based off the damage to our course and the pictures I’ve seen of the golf balls that these are the same (vandals),” he said.
“We have a bike track around the outside that you can access the course from.”
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