Vandals may force a school swimming pool to close just a week after emergency building work allowed it to open for the summer.

Youngsters at West Blatchington Junior School in Hove have already been without the use of their pool for several weeks this year after it was found to be leaking and declared unsafe.

The school did not have enough money to pay for the repairs and an application for a grant from the National Lottery was turned down.

The pool was facing indefinite closure when builder Darren Elms, whose sons, Jamie and Ashley, go to the school, came to the rescue.

He and some of the employees from his firm, SD Builders, gave up their own time to repair the pool themselves so the children could carry on with their swimming lessons.

But Mr Elms' work may all have been for nothing as young vandals have attacked the pool three times in a week, threatening to make it a no-go area for the children once again.

Lynne Rosthorn, chairman of the school's PTA, said: "In the last instance, part of the fence around the pool was actually torn down and glass was thrown around in the pool.

"The youngsters were confronted by the caretaker and his wife, but were blatantly abusive and promised they would keep returning.

"If it continues it looks as if we will have to close the pool anyway because of the broken glass."

Deputy head teacher Simon Simmons said: "It is a real shame. They have cut the wire fence around the school to gain access to the pool, using wire cutters and all manner of tools.

"We suspect we are talking about ex-pupils of the school, kids in their mid-teens. They are coming in and using the pool and leaving stuff lying about including clothes in the pool. They have also sprayed graffiti over walls and classroom windows.

"Our caretaker, Terry Stanley, has been working extremely hard so the children can carry on using it, but he has to check the pool every morning to make sure it is safe. We just don't know what is going in it."