POLICE have sent out hundreds of leaflets to village people asking them for information about a series of airgun attacks which have been made on local schools.

The attacks on schools in Hurworth, near Darlington, have all happened since January.

They vandalism attacks have resulted in a number of windows being smashed at the schools, which have cost hundreds of pounds to replace.

In an effort to stop the airgun damage incidents, police in the village have sent leaflets to 200 homes asking for people to report any suspicious incidents that they might witness.

A police spokesman said: "There have been a series of attacks on Hurworth Primary School, Hurworth Comprehensive and Hurworth Preparatory School, and there were a number of windows smashed.

"The primary school has been targeted on one occasion, the comprehensive on two occasions and the preparatory school has been targeted a number of times.

"In view of that, Sergeant Mark Ralph's went to a meeting of the parish council and asked for public support.

"He also announced that the leaflet drop had been organised to target homes around the village, especially those in the vicinity of the schools.

"The public has been asked to keep an eye on anyone or anything suspicious around the area of the schools and to get in touch with the police."

Extensive damage was caused at the comprehensive school over two weekends in February.

Nineteen windows were smashed by airgun pellets just a few days after they were replaced following an earlier attack on all three schools in the village.

After those attacks, the police said the airguns were probably been fired by youngsters and warned that serious injury could be caused if the guns were used as toys.

A Darlington Borough Council spokesman also stressed that the cost of any repairs made to the schools would ultimately have to be met by council tax payers.

The police spokesman said that in recent weeks there had been no new incidents, but he stressed the leaflet drop would still be going ahead to try to get more people to be vigilant and to report any damage that they witnessed.