THIEVES ransacked an historic former Jewish school causing a staggering £100,000 worth of damage.
The old Delamere Forest School was trashed over the Easter weekend as crooks ripped out copper piping from the walls and ceilings.
The empty school in Blakemere Lane, Norley, which closed its doors in July last year after 90 years, was targeted on three consecutive nights, from April 8-10.
Rod Wood, who bought the school site in November last year as an investment, said: “It’s a complete mess. Where we start I have no idea.”
He is currently speaking to his insurers to see what he can recoup in order to fix the damage, and has also stepped up security at the site.
Mr Wood, who is managing director of Frodsham-based Community Windpower Ltd, has not yet decided what to do with the school but admits he ‘needs to get cracking’ with finding an alternative use for it following the burglaries.
A separate building on the site containing a swimming pool, which Mr Wood allows community groups to use, escaped damage.
Cheshire Constabulary spokeswoman Shelley Williams said: “Crimes such as this can have a profound impact upon business owners, and clearly in this case a significant amount of damage was caused to the building.”
She also confirmed an 18-year-old man from Manchester had been arrested in the early hours of April 10 on suspicion of burglary. He is currently on bail until May 31.
Delamere Forest School was set up by prominent Manchester Jewish philanthropist and activist Margaret Langdon in 1921.
In 2010 it relocated to North Manchester so it was closer to the large established local Jewish community.
Last year, having tried to maintain it as a separate independent school, Delamere Forest School was forced to close its doors.
If anyone has information about the burglaries call Cheshire Constabulary on 101.
