GOLFING yobs celebrated Europe's emphatic Ryder Cup victory by smashing balls through the windows of a York school.

Just as the Ryder Cup team was breaking out bottles of champagne at the K Club, a gang of youths was breaking glass at Manor School, in Low Poppleton Lane.

The vandals won't be hearing from Nick Faldo any time soon - they missed more often than they hit - but still managed to cause hundreds of pounds of damage.

Manor School head teacher Brian Crosby said the vandalism was "mindless and moronic".

CCTV cameras captured a gang of four grinning youths - none of them students at the school - arriving on site just before 5pm on Sunday. At least one was carrying a golf club.

Just minutes before, the European Ryder Cup team had clinched a record-breaking 18.5-9.5 win in County Kildare, Ireland.

When Manor School staff arrived on Monday morning, they found five shattered windows and a number of golf balls scattered around the roof of the main teaching block.

Inside, shards of glass covered children's chairs and desks.

Lessons had to be rearranged at short notice, and the damage will cost well over £700 to put right.

Mr Crosby said: "This is just mindless and moronic, totally beyond our comprehension. What were these people thinking of?

"I watched the golf myself and it was a tremendous celebration, something that should inspire young people - but not to do this."

York Police spokesman Ray Copland said: "This was really not the way to celebrate the Ryder Cup. At the end of the day, the school will have to foot the bill for the damage to their property. We will be investigating."

Mr Crosby added he was reluctant to tighten up security in the wake of the damage. He said: "We don't want to become an isolated compound. We prefer there to be a sense that we are part of the community."

Anyone who recognises the youths in the CCTV pictures, or has any more information, is asked to phone officers on 0845 6060247.