Primary school staff were forced to cut their summer holidays short to help repair the damage after thieves stole the lead from the building's roof.

After the lead was stolen, a deluge of heavy showers over recent weeks meant several rooms at Rivenhall Primary School, in Church Road, flooded and the ceiling in the school's kitchen even started to collapse.

However to prevent students having to miss the start of the new term school, staff have been pitching in with the repair works.

Headteacher Rebecca More said: "There was water damage to the to the walls and floor in two classrooms and the carpets have had to be taken up and replaced.

"There will be considerable redecoration work to do but at the moment things are still drying.

"Our kitchen, table store and PE store ceilings were falling down.

"It is frustrating but all the staff and the parents have been very supportive and the staff have worked incredibly hard.

"For instance on Monday I had ten members of staff in to help us - I am extremely grateful to them."

Work to repair the damage began around three weeks ago, after the damage was discovered during a routine inspection of the premises over summer.

Mrs More said: "Obviously we check the school over the summer holidays and this was when we discovered the damage.

"The difficulty is because of the extended period of good weather we had earlier this summer the police and ourselves are not sure when it happened.

"We have been working for a couple of weeks since we found out.

"We are definitely open for the children to start the summer term on Wednesday."

A spokesman for Essex Police confirmed the service was investigating the theft.

He said: "We are aware that lead has been stolen from the roof of Rivenhall C of E VC Primary School.

"It was reported to us on August 14. The lead is believed to have been taken between May 1 and August 10 of this year.

"Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting the crime reference number 42/117541/18."