THREE 11-year-old boys have confessed to trashing a school classroom during the holidays.
Around £2,000 of damage was caused to the timber-framed outdoor classroom at St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School in west Hull.
The boys, who are not pupils at the school, ripped artwork to shreds, smashed furniture to pieces and broke the children's play equipment.
Police have now ordered them to meet headteacher Susan Wass to apologise, despite not being pupils at the school.
They will also take part in a sponsored ten-mile walk to raise money to repair the damage and will be raiding their piggy banks.
PC Andy White, neighbourhood police officer for the area, said: "Because of their ages, the judicial system wouldn't even entertain taking them to court. The only thing we could do would be to give them a child caution, which basically means signing a piece of paper.
"That would criminalise them for the rest of their lives. Hopefully, by taking this course of action, it will have an impact on their brains for the rest of their lives, so they think twice before doing anything like it again.
"They are going to have to go cap in hand to the headteacher and explain what they did and why they did it, and the walking ten miles is a punishment element. At the same time, they will be collecting money, which will go to the school."
The boys will be telling family members and friends what they have done and asking for sponsorship money to complete the walk, which will be donated to the school.
Money from their bank accounts and piggy banks will also be donated.
The boys were taken to Kirk Ella Police Station and interviewed under caution after they were named following an appeal in the Mail.
PC White said: "They couldn't offer any real explanation about why they did it, it was just a daft, stupid thing to do.
"During the interview, they were teary and remorseful. They are disgusted and their parents are too but the parents are fully supportive of this course of action.
"They have made a mistake and we have tried to tailor something for them that will make them think in the future.
"This is all being done with the headteacher's blessing and will hopefully make them see the error of their ways. This isn't an easy option for anyone – it is a lot harder for them and it is a lot more work for us, but it is the right thing to do."
The classroom, which is mainly used by four and five-year-olds, cost £25,000 and was built after a fundraising drive.
Mrs Wass told last week the Mail the break-in was the worst experience she has had at the school since becoming the headteacher five years ago.
The boys will be joining a ten-mile walk, which has been organised by PC White to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
He was inspired to do something for the charity after hearing cancer sufferer Brian Burke speaking to a 13-year-old boy who had stolen a Macmillan collection box.
The event will see police officers, Mr Burke, young people who have been through restorative justice and their parents walking from Beverley to Hull on Saturday, May 10.
Former Hull City footballer and manager Nick Barmby will also be taking part.
Although most participants will be raising money for Macmillan, any money the three boys raise will be donated to the school.
As part of their punishment, the boys have also been banned from the school site.
