POLICE were alerted after an Inverclyde school was twice targeted by intruders in one morning while hundreds of pupils were on the premises.

The double security breach occurred at St Columba’s High in Gourock on Tuesday.

It is understood that two youths from Greenock’s Inverclyde Academy — located over a mile away — infiltrated the grounds and were ‘chased’ by St Columba’s headteacher Jim Docherty.

But the pair, said to be aged around 16, returned a short time later and managed to gain access to a classroom during break-time before being removed from the premises.

They were located later by police, who used CCTV footage to identify them.

Inverclyde Council today confirmed that the incidents took place but insisted the matters were ‘minor’, despite officers being called in. The local authority also said it had received no explanation as to why the youths were at St Columba’s and not at their own school.

A council spokesman said: “Two young people of secondary school age were in the school grounds and were chased by the headteacher.

“Later that morning the same two young people appear to have entered the school during the morning break and were again removed from the school grounds.

“They entered an empty classroom.

“Thanks to the CCTV around the school the young people were very quickly identified and action taken by Police Scotland.” Police today said that there had been ‘no criminality’ involved regarding their call out to St Columba’s.

Sergeant Allan O’Hare said: “We received a call at 11.10am regarding two youths aged approximately 16 on the premises of St Columba’s High School.

“The head teacher was spoken to and there was no allegation of any criminality.

“The two youths from Inverclyde Academy were spoken to and left the premises, with the head teacher of the Academy being informed.” Asked if there was any indication as to why two Inverclyde Academy pupils were twice at St Columba’s, a council spokesman replied: “No.” He added that there had been ‘no need’ to call the police after the initial incident within the school grounds and said that parents have not been notified.

The spokesman said: “There was a minor incident at the school which the school and police handled quickly and efficiently. At no point was pupil safety compromised.

“Every school has security arrangements in place and remains vigilant on all issues around school security.”