VANDALS went on the rampage at Eastleigh's Crestwood School, using bricks, stones, concrete blocks and scaffolding poles to smash 53 windows and two security cameras.

Damage - estimated at £4,000 - left shattered glass littering classrooms at the school in Shakespeare Road, Boyatt Wood.

A massive clear-up operation has swung into action following the devastating raid and today glaziers were busy replacing broken glass.

A Hampshire County Council spokeswoman said it was thought repair work would be finished by the end of today, enabling the school to reopen as normal after the Easter break on Monday.

The raid happened some time between 4.30pm on Wednesday and 6.30am yesterday and was the third attack on the school within seven days. Previously, a handful of windows had been broken by wreckers.

But police revealed they believed the school was targeted after rival gangs squared up to one another and then went on the rampage.

Police hunting the culprits today appealed for anyone who saw or heard anything to contact Eastleigh police station.

One of the CCTV cameras attacked is still missing but CCTV footage is due to be examined on Monday in a bid to identify the culprits.

Head teacher Phil Munday told the Daily Echo: "It is very frustrating. It means, for example, that the site managers who had a schedule of work to improve the site had to switch their attention to clearing up.

"There is also a substantial cost which is taking money that could well be spent trying to improve the facilities."

A police spokesman said patrols on the giant Boyatt Wood estate would be stepped up following recent incidents involving gangs of teenagers roaming the streets and causing disturbances.

He said a high visibility police presence and good investigative work had identified and dealt with the main culprits involved in incidents of anti-social behaviour in the neighbourhood earlier this year.

Now, action is being taken to identify those involved in the latest outbreaks.

Eastleigh-based Chief Insp Jill Baldry said: "Although we have identified the main troublemakers we will continue to monitor the area and anyone persisting in causing disruption can expect to be identified and dealt with appropriately.

"Quality of life issues are very important to people and it is unreasonable to expect residents of the communities we serve to tolerate this unreasonable behaviour."