Mindless firebugs attempted to vandalise a Lanarkshire school last Friday.
The group of teenagers were spotted by locals dumping part of a tree onto the grounds at Cathkin Primary in Rutherglen.
They proceeded to set the tree on fire before walking off laughing.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were able to attend and stop the fire before it became too serious, but both they and local police have slammed the group for their reckless actions, which created a "needless drain" on resources.
One local who saw the incident told Lanarkshire Live : "The fire brigade had to break the locks on the school gates to get in because of these wee idiots.
"It's just mindless vandalism. There's a wee group of them going about looking for trouble."
Area Commander Andrew Kenna is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Local Senior Officer for Lanarkshire.
He said: "We were alerted at 9.20pm on Friday, July 15 to reports of a fire in the open within the grounds of a school at Burnside Road, Rutherglen.
"Operations Control mobilised one fire appliance and firefighters extinguished a fire affecting a small quantity of tyres.
There were no reported casualties and crews left after ensuring the area was made safe.
Deliberate fires have the potential to cause injury and even death or cause devastating damage to our environment and properties - they are a needless drain on emergency service resources.
"Our firefighters and community action teams have been, and will continue to work extremely hard, by engaging with the public and promoting safety messages.
"I would also ask parents, guardians, and carers to help by making sure that children and young people are aware of the risks and consequences of deliberate fire setting.
"However, we also know it's a minority of people in our communities who engage in such acts."
Lanarkshire police have made a witness appeal regarding the incident.
If you know anything about this incident, please contact 101 quoting incident number 0552 of 16th July 2022 or alternatively, you can report information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online here