Police release CCTV images after £20k theft and damage at Lancaster school

Lancaster police have released these CCTV images after a school was targeted overnight on Saturday May 7.

Damage and theft valued at £20,000 was caused at the school, and police now wish to speak the the men caught on camera in connection with the incident.

Three men were seen on CCTV breaking into the school, with a total of around £10,000 worth of damage being caused and a further £10,000 worth of items stolen, including laptops and tools. A school van was also stolen.

At around 4.40pm on Sunday police received a report that the van had been seen being driven erratically in the Dallas Road area of Lancaster.

The van was located by TacOps and the driver of the van was asked to stop for officers. Upon speaking with the driver the situation escalated and resulted in the officers deploying taser and the man making off on foot.

After a short chase he was detained on Lindow Street.

The van was recovered, along with several thousands of pounds worth of items.

Leigh Smith, 36, of Heaton Road, Lancaster, was later charged with criminal damage and jailed for 21 days when he appeared at Blackpool Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Anyone with any information about the incident or the men in the photographs should either email [email protected].

You can also contact CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/.

Make sure you quote police crime reference LC-20220508-0468 in any correspondence about this incident.