CHILDREN are paying the price after vandals caused more than £250,000 worth of damage at Newport schools over two years.

Head teachers have to pay for repairs out of school budgets - money which could be better spent on equipment and books.

Newport AMs John Griffiths and Rosemary Butler obtained statistics which show that an average of two acts of vandalism occur every day at the city's schools.

A school-by-school log shows nearly 1,500 incidents of vandalism costing a total of £263,089 between 2007 and 2009.

Secondary schools suffered the most damage with Duffryn the most frequently attacked (183 incidents) but the former Bettws High cost the most to repair with more than £25,000 worth of damage.

In the primary sector, St Julian's Infant School was the worst affected in 2008/09.

Although it did not have the most incidents, the 11 it did suffer cost nearly £8,000 to repair while the junior school faced another £1,483.

The two schools also faced a hefty bill the previous year with a total of 44 incidents costing more than £12,000.

St Julians Infants and Junior Schools were among the worst affected by vandals between 2007 and 2009.

David Rees, former head of St Julians Juniors and now at the helm of the combined primary school, said vandalism had a huge effect on a school because it drained the budget.

It was something that was taken very seriously and measures taken to tackle the problem were having an impact.

"It is the children in this community that are losing out because money that should be spent on helping them to learn is being spent on making repairs."

Mrs Butler branded those responsible as "brainless" and "mindless thugs" while Mr Griffiths said the attacks were destroying a crucial learning environment for children.

"What our research shows is that thousands of pounds are being spent on repairing damage caused by criminals. I am gobsmacked by these figures," said Mrs Butler, AM for Newport West.

A spokeswoman for Newport council said it was making on-going efforts to deter vandals including improved security, CCTV and working with students to instil a sense of pride and ownership in schools.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

ALWAY PRIMARY 2007/8 - 16 incidents costing £2348.26 2008/9 - 23 incidents costing £2527.99;

BASSALEG COMP 2007/8 - 32 incidents costing £4923.14 2008/9 - 30 incidents costing £6123.04;

BETTWS HIGH 2007/8 - 42 incidents costing £7168.17 2008/9 - 80 incidents costing £18 295.88;

BRYNGLAS PRIMARY 2007/8 27 incidents costing £8 516.49 2008/9 13 incidents costing £2200.77;

CAERLEON COMP 2007/8 - 25 incidents £3445.50 2008/9 -11 incidents costing £3464.06;

CAERLEON ENDOWED JUNIORS 2007/8 - one incident costing £55.79 2008/9 - no incidents.

CLYTHA PRIMARY 2007/8 five incidents costing £432.47 2008/9 - four incidents costing £234.17;

CRINDAU PRIMARY 2007/8 - four incidents costing £384.75 2008/9 - five incidents costing £291.78;

DUFFRYN HIGH 2007/8 - 107 incidents costing £11171.18 2008/9 - 76 incidents costing £10 018.51;

DUFFRYN INFANTS 2007/8 - three incidents costing £192.07 2008/9 - four incidents costing £2863.36;

DUFFRYN JUNIORS 2008/9 - seven incidents costing £2539.62 2008/9 - six incidents costing £773.67;

EVESWELL PRIMARY 2007/8 - no incidents 2008/9 - four incidents costing £367.94;

GAER INFANTS 2007/8 - 48 incidents costing £12346.38 2008/9 - seven incidents costing £1572.37;

GAER JUNIORS 2007/8 - 25 incidents costing £6005.47 2008/9 - 12 incidents costing £1767.11;

GLAN USK PRIMARY (DURHAM ROAD) 2007/8 - 28 incidents costing £2797.27 2008/9 - 14 incidents costing £1459.21;

GLASLLWCH PRIMARY 2007/8 - no incidents 2008/9 - one incident costing £85.76;

HARTRIDGE COMP 2007/8 - 83 incidents costing £13012.46 2008/9 - 54 incidents costing £8801.66;

HIGH CROSS PRIMARY 2007/8 - three incidents costing £137.90 2008/9 - four incidents costing £943.45;

LANGSTONE PRIMARY 2007/8 - three incidents costing £209.45 2008/9 - eight incidents costing £2298.16;

LLANMARTIN PRIMARY 2007/8 - 11 incidents costing £2382.57 2008/9 two incidents costing £244.46;

LLISWERRY HIGH 2007/8 0 56 incidents costing £5635.62 2008/9 - 74 incidents costing £10 763.57;

LLISWERRY PRIMARY 2007/8 - ten incidents costing £2 601.67 2008/9 - one incident costing £104.50;

LODGE HILL INFANTS 2007/8 - two incidents costing £489.41 2008/9 - no incidents;

LODGE HILL JUNIORS 2007/8 - four incidents costing £729.19 2008/9 - seven incidents costing £2 071.21;

MAES EBBW SCHOOL 2007/8 - 17 incidents costing £4135.94 2008/9 - 15 incidents costing £2747.79;

MAESGLAS PRIMARY 2007/8 - 23 incidents costing £2 574.45 2008/9 - 26 incidents costing £3086.71;

MAINDEE PRIMARY 2007/8 - four incidents costing £621.60 2008/9 - town incidents costing £1384.26;

MALPAS C IN W INFANTS 2007/8 - no incidents 2008/9 - two incidents costing £229.98;

MALPAS C IN W JUNIOR 2007/8 - no incidents 2008/9 one incidents costing £311.54;

MALPAS COURT PRIMARY 2007/8 - nine incidents costing £1020.67 2008/9 2008/9 - 15 incidents costing £2012.91;

MALPAS PARK PRIMARY 2007/8 - one incident costing £135.31 2008/9 - four incidents costing £867.39;

MARSHFIELD PRIMARY 2007/8 - three incidents costing £659.60 2008/9 three incidents costing £458.58;

MILLBROOK PRIMARY 2007/8 - 18 incidents costing £2279.12 2008/9 - four incidents costing £472.27;

MILTON INFANTS 2007/8 - no incidents 2008/9 - one incident costing £77.30;

MILTON JUNIORS 2007/8 - two incidents costing £163.11 2008/9 - three incidents costing £180.45;

MONNOW PRIMARY 2007/8 - 22 incidents costing £4 016.23 2008/9 - ten incidents costing £1242.27;

MOUNT PLEASANT PRIMARY 2007/8 - 15 incidents costing £1217.75 2008/9 - no incidents;

PENTREPOETH PRIMARY 2007/8 - one incident costing £59.91 2008/9 2008/9 two incidents costing £433.78;

PILLGWENLLY PRIMARY 2007/8 - seven incidents costing £601.57 2008/9 one incident costing £72;

RINGLAND PRIMARY 2007/8 - 11 incidents costing £2897.91 2008/9 - seven incidents costing £624.30;

ROGERSTONE PRIMARY 2007/8 - three incidents costing £459.45 2008/9 three incidents costing £859.74;

SOMERTON PRIMARY 2007/8 - 56 incidents costing £11405.73 2008/9 - seven incidents costing £1427.92;

ST ANDREWS INFANTS 2007/8 - 12 incidents costing £7499.67 2008/9 - 11 incidents costing £2720.39;

ST ANDREWS JUNIORS 2007/8 - ten incidents costing £1 874.97 2008/9 - 18 incidents costing £4485.76;

ST DAVID'S RC PRIMARY 2007/8 - three incidents costing £490.92 2008/9 - no incidents.

ST GABRIELS RC PRIMARY 2007/8 - three incidents costing £269.36 2008/9 - two incidents costing £331.48;

ST JOSEPHS RC PRIMARY 2007/8 - one incident costing £429.41 2008/9 - no incidents;

ST JOSEPH'S RC COMP 2007/8 - no incidents 2008/9 - one incident costing £136.43;

ST JULIANS COMP 2007/8 - 23 incidents costing £2954.91 2008/9 - 18 incidents costing £3396.34;

ST JULIANS INFANTS 2007/8 - 26 incidents costing £4517.55 2008/9 - 11 incidents costing £7928.14;

ST JULIANS JUNIORS 2007/8 - 18 incidents costing £767281 2008/9 - ten incidents costing £1483.90;

ST MICHAELS RC PRIMARY 2007/8 - one incident costing £35 2008/9 - three incidents costing £97420;

ST WOOLOS PRIMARY 2007/8 - three incidents costing £418 2008/9 - five incidents costing £964.05;

YSGOL GYMRAEG CASNEWYDD 2007/8 - one incident costing £85.76 2008/9 - five incidents costing £875.03;

TOTAL 1485 incidents costing 263,089.08.