Electrical cabling has been severed and stolen from a primary school in Antrim, forcing it to close.
St Joseph’s Primary School will not open until Friday at the earliest due to the break-in.
The incident happened sometime between 8.30pm and 11pm on Saturday night (December 14).
The severing of the cables caused a power cut to the computer systems, phones, CCTV and the alarm system.
The Education Authority has since been working to repair the damage caused.
Principal Mrs Treacy said the break-in and theft was ‘disappointing’ but the culprits would not be allowed to ruin Christmas for the children.
The Carol Service will take place as planned in the church at 7pm this evening (Tuesday 17 December)
The Big Christmas Breakfast will also go ahead on Wednesday morning in the canteen.
The principal is welcoming community support for the activities following the burglary.
“We would greatly appreciate your support and attendance at these Christmas events and also welcome anybody in the community to come along to support us. It is an important time to pull together as a school community and to give our children the best experiences for this special season.
“We look forward to seeing you all then and thank you for your kind messages of support at this difficult time,” added the principal.