DESPICABLE vandals have broken into four Glasgow schools taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis.

Three primary schools in the South Side of the city were targeted in one night.

And the local high school was vandalised just days before.

Education bosses said thugs are using the lockdown to try to get away with causing damage at schools closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Councillor Chris Cunningham, City Convener for Education, Skills and Early Years said: “It’s despicable to think that people are taking advantage of the current crisis to break into our schools.

“They should be ashamed of themselves and if anyone in the community has got any information on the culprits, then I would urge them to contact the police.”

Kings Park Secondary was the first South Side school to be targeted in the string of break-ins with vandals forcing their way into the school last weekend.

On Wednesday night into Thursday morning, Merrylee, St Fillan's and Our Lady of the Annunciation primary schools were all broken into.

The first incident happened in the early evening with the final housebreaking taking place in the early hours.

Our Lady of Annunciation Primary was the first school to be targeted, just along from Merrylee Primary.

Security staff arrived on site just after 10pm as the building's alarm system had been triggered.

Vandals gained entry to the school by the kitchen door before moving through the kitchen and dining room into the offices of the head teacher, deputy head teacher and main office.

They pulled out drawers and scattered the contents around the rooms.

Police attended before security staff secured the site.

At Merrylee Primary, on Friarton Road, the janitor raised the alarm that the building had been broken in to.

Police were called and the scene was secured.

Security staff were called to St Fillan's Primary at 5.30am when the school's alarm went off.

CCTV for the Crompton Avenue building was checked to see if the culprits were caught on footage.

Thugs gained entry to the school by smashing through a front door panel.

Once inside they targeted the janitor's office and the admin office, rifling through a key safe.

City Building staff secured the school and police were called.

Police Scotland was contacted for comment but had not responded by the time the Glasgow Times went to press.

Glasgow's schools have previously been targeted by thugs with break-ins happening in locations across the city.

But this is the first time four have been attacked in one evening.