SCHOOL staff have been left 'sickened' by vandals who ripped up a sports pitch and forced a vital minibus off the road.

St Bede's RC High School, on Livesey Branch Road in Blackburn, was targeted in the attack.

The specialist sports college, which received a £262,000 lottery grant last year, provides sporting facilities ranging from tai chi for seniors to children's football.

Part of a new artificial football pitch, laid as part of the revamp, was pulled up and goal posts thrown to the ground during Saturday's break-in.

A window in a maths block was smashed and a back window of a minibus was also removed by the culprits.

Police are examining a hammer the vandals left in the minibus as they search for clues.

Staff have had to ferry students in their own cars to a netball match while repairs to a minibus window are carried out.

The culprits gained access to its grounds by using wire-cutters to make a hole in a parameter fence.

And the school's specialism director Janice Fee saidshe had never experienced such shocking behaviour in her 25-year association with St Bede's.

"It is sickening. If they had come in and simply played on the pitch that would be one thing but to try and destroy the pitch and break-in to the minibus is another -- it's just mindless.

"The minibus has been out of action and is due to be repaired later today and it has been disruptive.

"Netball students have had to be taken in cars to a match and a group of pupils were to visit another school but that's been cancelled.

"The pitch looks like it will be OK but that is not the point. This college is a facility used by all the community and I want them to know what is going on.

"The fact they've used wire-cutters to get in and left a hammer behind suggests it's pre-planned but it is probably children.

Hopefully, the community can provide information and this can be nipped in the bud."

Call Blackburn police with information on 01254 51212.