A 13-year-old lad smashed a CCTV camera installed at St Andrew s School in Soham -- but other cameras on the site caught him in the act. The youngster had climbed on the school roof during the summer holidays, and threw the new camera to the ground, smash

A 13-year-old lad smashed a CCTV camera installed at St Andrew's School in Soham -- but other cameras on the site caught him in the act.

The youngster had climbed on the school roof during the summer holidays, and threw the new camera to the ground, smashing it beyond repair.

"The school had suffered from anti-social behaviour, and new cameras were installed on the roof, to observe the swimming pool and to deter people climbing on the roof," prosecutor Sally Hickling told Ely Youth Court on Thursday.

But staff arrived at school to find three cameras had been moved, and were pointing towards the sky, and one camera had been smashed on the ground.

"This youth and another were identified from CCTV footage," added Miss Hickling. "He fully admitted claiming on the roof, ripping the camera off, and throwing it to the ground."

The teenager -- who cannot be named for legal reasons -- admitted causing £200-worth of damage to the camera on August 6.

Mitigating, Jacqui Baldwin said the teenager, who has been excluded from two schools, had no real explanation for his behaviour.

"He said he was bored, and he did do it. He suffers from behavioural problems, which are quite an issue for the family."

The youngster was also given a four-month referral order and told to pay £50 costs.

# A 15-year-old youth denied causing a nuisance or disturbance at St Andrew's School on August 6. His case was adjourned until November 9, when the date of his trial is due to be set.