A DEVASTATED nursery owner is urging residents to be more aware after vandals stole lead from the roof of the school causing extensive damage for the second time in two weeks. 

Gran-of-eight Lesley Meadows was distraught after The Avenue private day nursery on The Avenue, Leigh was set upon for a second time causing ceilings to leak and leaving some of the rooms ‘unusable.’

The 69-year-old who has run the nursery for 25 years said: “The main people to suffer are the children and no amount of security alarms can protect against this.

“I am devastated and very angry that someone could potentially put children at risk.

“We spotted the damage and ensured all the children were away from the rooms affected as we have access to the chapel next door but that is not the point.

“We have also had outdoor toys taken which are not new but the kids here really enjoy them.

“It is all an expense that we can simply not afford.”

The damage caused by the theft of the lead has meant that water has soaked into ceiling tiles and they have later fell into the suspended ceiling and later the room.

Lesley added: “I just want people to be aware that people doing this are out there, no one on this street saw anything but hopefully if we talk about it more people will be on guard for it.

It is just so selfish and it has upset all of us.

“The first time was two weeks ago, we didn’t realise what had caused it at first but when we got someone out to fix it they said the lead had been taken from the roof and this weekend they’ve struck again.

“The roof is on different levels so it is easy to see how they managed to get up there, but hopefully if we group together people will be aware and stop them in their tracks before this happens to others.”