VANDALS caused thousands of pounds of damage to sports equipment at a Gwent school during a spree of destruction on Friday night.

Maintenance staff at Croesyceiliog Comprehensive School in Cwmbran discovered six sets of steel rugby and football posts snapped or bent to the ground on Saturday morning.

One set of football posts, which were reinforced with concrete, were completely removed.

Head teacher Helene Mansfield branded the culprits "mindless".

She said: "It's incredibly disappointing and extraordinary people could do this. The students will be very disappointed, especially as it is likely the people who did this are their own age," she said.

"It's not just the school it affects but other local sports teams who use the pitches."

School caretaker John Gordon said: "I phoned the police as soon as I heard what had happened. It's completely mindless and means the kids will not be able to play football or rugby until it is sorted."

New posts are likely to cost around £1,000 for each set. The school will now assess if any of the posts can be salvaged.

The same group of vandals is suspected of causing damage to more posts at nearby playing fields off Woodland Road.

Yesterday, seven Croesyceiliog RFC youth games were called off after youngsters turned up to find the posts flattened.

Croesyceiliog RFC's first team coach, John Bellow, said: "I think it is disgusting. They haven't just bent the posts, they have actually snapped some of them.

"There are a lot of disappointed children."

The school has a security fence and is also monitored by security cameras. But the playing fields at the 60-acre site are not in view of the CCTV and are secluded from the view of other buildings.

Police said the area around the Woodland Road Social Sports Centre was a hotspot for anti-social behaviour. There have been frequent reports of graffiti, criminal damage and illegal off-road motorcycle riding in recent months.

PC Sian Wigley, Croesyceiliog's neighbourhood police officer, said: "We would urge anyone who has any information about the vandalism to get in touch with us. We are very concerned this vandalism has taken place on school premises."

Anyone with information can call Cwmbran police on 01633 838999.