Mindless vandals spilled 2,000 litres of oil across a school car park.

The intruders tampered with an oil tank outside the kitchen of Dr Radcliffe's Primary School, Steeple Aston, and the contents gushed out across a car park.

The school has been left with a bill for at least £6,000 to clear up the mess and workmen have been drafted in to dispose of the contaminated soil.

The school, which has 166 pupils, remains open but headteacher Penelope Heptonstall said the damage was causing a lot of disruption.

She said: "It has been very damaging to the school grounds. We work very hard to keep our school looking nice and we also like to look after the environment, so the spillage has been upsetting in both ways."

"The car park is on a slope so the oil has gone right to the bottom and dissolved into the ground. The main problem for the workmen is finding where it went and digging holes." In the last few months the school has had windows broken and a sensor removed from a security light.

Mrs Heptonstall added: "I think it is just youngsters who are bored and are looking for something to do. Thankfully, because of prompt action we have been able to limit the damage."

The oil is used to fuel the school's heating system. The vandals damaged a gauge and opened the tank's stop-cock which allowed it to pour out during Monday night.

Environment Agency spokesman Debbie Lockyer said: "We were alerted quite early and one of our officers visited the school. It seems a level gauge on a diesel container had been vandalised. Our main concern was that it might contaminate water supplies but that did not happen."

Police Sgt Keith Latham said: "This was a wanton act of vandalism. The offenders must have known the trouble it would cause.

"We will welcome information about anybody seen hanging around the school grounds that night."

Any information can be passed to Thames Valley Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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