As part of the School Watch scheme, schools in the borough have been supplied with notices they can send home to parents, as well as deliver to residents who look onto their school estate, asking them to 'keep an eye' on the premises.

Police are also asking people living close to schools to help keep an eye on the properties over the summer holidays.

In recent years police have received a number of reports of criminal damage and nuisance incidents close to schools.

With the summer holiday period approaching, these incidents tend to increase.

Such incidents have a financial impact on a valuable school funds; these incidents may be linked to anti-social behaviour such as underage drinking, civil trespass and, on occasions drug abuse, in the grounds of the schools.

Police and the schools would ask that any incidents of the following are reported:

Youths acting suspiciously at or near the school; anyone causing damage to the school property; anyone in the school grounds outside working hours/during the holidays.

You can report these incidents by calling police on 0845 600 8000.

As the Times reported last week, vandals cost Antrim schools a whopping £135,808.65 over the last three years.

The borough comes fifth out of nine in a North East Education and Library Board league of shame which reveals the total bill faced to tackle and prevent vandalism topped £1.5 million.

The actual cost to repair damage caused by vandals to Antrim schools was £39,087.65, while security and other anti-vandalism measures was £96,721.00 making the total bill £135,808.65.

The North Eastern Board’s Chief Administrative Officer, Robin Harper, said: “The Board is concerned not just at the level of expenditure to make good the damage caused by vandals, but also at the amount we have to spend each year in an attempt to prevent vandalism.

“In many cases the preventative measures multiply the actual cost to the public purse by two or three times the amount spent on repairs alone.”