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Mindless thieves left a Bristol special school without the use of its minibus after repeatedly vandalising it.

Vandals have broken into Woodstock Special School in Henbury at least four times in the last 12 months.

On each occasion, staff say their school minibus has been targeted – with windows smashed, number plates stolen and even the batteries removed.

This has caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage and disrupted a number of pre-planned school trips, including a day out in Caerleon and a day with Bristol Rugby.

Jo Carr, who is part of the school’s emotional and well-being team, said the children were gutted their trips had been cancelled.

“We have repeated thefts of our minibus,” she said. “There has always been some element of vandalism but there have been two targeted incidents in the past three months alone.

“The bus is kept in the school grounds where we have CCTV but the thieves come in at night and the light isn’t as good as it could be, so the footage we get is very grainy.

“The bus has been broken into twice in three months. During the most recent break-in, the battery was removed and stolen.

“They have taken the battery before and that’s easy to replace but this time they’ve sawn off the terminals. They’ve rendered it completely useless, basically.”

Woodstock Special School caters for more than 60 children, aged between five and 11, who are placed there by Bristol City Council.

The school minibus is used on a weekly basis to ferry pupils to and from swimming lessons and mainstream visits, as well as the occasional trip further afield.

It is a hugely valuable resource which staff believe enriches the children’s lives and education, by being able to take them on a range of exciting activities.

Jo said it was “gutting” – for both staff and the children – to see the damage done by vandals but said the school was now fundraising for a replacement bus.

More than £6,000 has already been raised but staff have set an ambitious target of £15,000.

“That won’t be enough to get a brand new one but we’re hoping £15,000 will be enough to afford a decent second-hand one,” Jo added.

To donate to Woodstock Special School's minibus fundraiser, click here.