VANDALS urinated on PE equipment and defecated inside the old Filands site of Malmesbury School over the weekend in a £10,000 rampage.

They broke in by breaking boarding at the school entrance between Friday afternoon and Monday morning.

The school has been disused since the new site opened at Corn Gastons at Easter.

Sgt Kier Pritchard, of Malmesbury police, said he believes it was a group of youngsters.

Malmesbury Police have already interviewed 18 youths about the damage.

Sgt Pritchard said the overall repair bill, depending on the future of the building, would run into thousands of pounds.

The damage included smashed windows, which left the building littered with glass,

A number of computers were thrown downstairs and irreparably damaged, television sets were also thrown to the ground and £3-4,000 worth of science equipment was destroyed.

Headteacher Malcolm Trobe said: "Some of the material was urinated over, including some of the gym equipment, and people have defecated inside the building."

Some of the equipment was due to be donated to primary schools in the area. Now they will have to go without it.

"Everyone has been horrified by the scale and the amount of damage that has been done," said Mr Trobe.

He said that, should any of the culprits be pupils at the school, disciplinary action would depend on the outcome of the police investigation, and would be made in conjunction with Wiltshire County Council.

Coun John Thomson, who represents Malmesbury on Wiltshire County Council, saw the damage yesterday and was horrified.

He said: "It's unbelievable. I have never seen anything like it in my life.

"There isn't a room in the place that hasn't been smashed.

"I hope the police will pursue these people with rigour and catch those responsible for it."

Sgt Pritchard said the school was also broken into on Monday, but it is difficult to say if further damage was inflicted.

Anyone with information should call Malmesbury Police on (01666) 822222.

The vandalism follows repeated attacks on the playground and toilets at St Aldhelm's Mead, in the town.

Last week, the Gazette reported that town council workmen had to pick out shards of glass from a broken window which had been thrown into the sandpit at St Aldhelm's Mead.

dvaller@newswilts.co.uk