The shocked headteacher of Cockernhoe School has been left with a hole in his office ceiling and a hefty bill after thieves stole large quantities of the lead in the school's roof just before half term.

Paul Quinton, who took over the position last September, said he was devastated by what had happened. "Certain places - like schools and churches - used to be out of bounds. But nothing seems to be sacred any more," he said.

"We've had quotes of between £15,000 and £20,000 to fix the damage. But we haven't got that sort of money and if we have to pay, it's the children's education that will suffer. We're still trying to discover exactly what is and isn't covered by insurance."

Mr Quinton said staff had noticed lead flashing was missing but closer inspection of the roof revealed that large quantities of lead had been removed, disturbing the structure.

As a result ceilings in two offices had come down during the recent adverse weather. His office has also suffered water damage.

"We've had to do emergency work to repair the affected areas," he said. "We're looking to replace the lead with plastic.

"We're also looking at placing bollards at the end of the school lane to keep out unwanted visitors. But it's a public thoroughfare, so we're having discussions with other interested parties."

The police have been informed. Mr Quinton said: "They warned us that the thieves may come back because they didn't get all the lead. It's used for sealing and the cost has gone up so much recently. It's a valuable commodity."