The schools are on half-term this week, which is excellent news for people like me who cherish the extra five minutes in bed thanks to the drastic ghost-town effect on the morning traffic.

But I imagine staff and pupils at Great Harwood Primary School are dreading what they'll find when they return next week.

The school has begged Hyndburn Council to build a fence around its perimeter after a spate of vandal attacks including graffiti, smashed windows, people vomiting on the playground, and trashing a garden planted by the kids. Maybe I'm naive but this story shocked me.

Trespassing on school grounds after hours is nothing new.

At my junior school, being chased off the school field by Mr Foden the grumpy old caretaker was considered a competitive sport.

But teenagers pulling up plants and being sick on the playground? That's disgusting. Something needs to be done.

Of course there'll be those who say teenagers do this sort of thing because there's not enough youth clubs to keep them off the streets.

I don't think so. When's the last time you heard a story of local youth clubs turning people away because they were so over-run?

The truth is - for whatever reason - teenagers just don't respect authority anymore and we've got to remedy that.

For now, let the school have their fence. I just hope these yobs don't see it as a challenge rather than a deterrent.