VANDALS have struck at Ocean Road Primary School, damaging a synthetic cricket pitch that was laid just last week.
Staff at the school returned this morning to find a person on what is assumed to be a scooter or a motorbike did burnouts on the pitch.
The synthetic grass, which was laid on Wednesday, was melted in places due to the burnouts and half the pitch is expected to have to be replaced.
Last year the school installed bollards and the City of Mandurah installed a gate with a chain across it to prevent cars driving onto the oval.
“The oval used to get a lot of burnouts from cars on it but that stopped once the bollards and chains were in place – but now scooters are the problem,” Ocean Road maintenance worker Anthony Shellam said.
“The students weren’t allowed on the pitch on Wednesday after it was laid so they really only got to use it on Thursday morning and at recess and lunch on Thursday and Friday.”
Ocean Road principal Dean Finlay said he was disappointed to return after the weekend and find the damage.
“It was something brand new for the kids that they were really excited about,” he said.
“We’re urging the community to report any information they may have about the incident.
Ocean Road had several other acts of vandalism last year, including the destruction of nine commemorative trees in April.
Twelve trees were planted to commemorate Anzac Day and nine were illegally cut down last year in an act that devastated the school community.
The school’s undercover area was also damaged last year when a person on a scooter or a motorbike did burnouts on the newly poured flooring.
In that instance, the cement was poured on a Thursday and when school resumed on the following Tuesday after a long weekend, the skid marks were present.
Anyone with information about the incident on the weekend should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
