HOODED thieves caused £7,000 worth of damage to buses owned by a special needs school.

The heartless crooks broke into Market Field School, in Elmstead Market, and took catalytic converters and other exhaust parts from two Ford Transit buses, leaving them completely out of action.

The thieves were caught on the school’s CCTV cameras just before midnight on Saturday but they have so far gone unidentified because they were wearing hoods and masks.

Headteacher Gary Smith said: “Why would someone do that? We are a special needs school. Why would they steal from us?

“Even if they weren’t aware of that, it’s plainly obvious we’re a school and it’s very low to steal from a school.

“It beggars belief, really.”

He added: “We caught them on CCTV and the police have been but they have told us there’s very little they can do because they have covered their faces with hoods and masks.

“The harsh reality is that sort of money would be much better spent on equipment for the children rather than on repairing our buses.”

Mr Smith added repairs have totalled £7,000 but the cost should be covered by the school’s insurance, although there is an excess and the premiums could rise.

He added: “Many of the children don’t know what has happened but the ones who do understand, can’t understand why someone would do this.”

The buses are frequently used to take pupils to swimming classes and on field trips and are used even more frequently for days out in the run up to Christmas.