Three minor fires reported at Nicosia district schools overnight

Nicosia, Cyprus. Three incidents involving fires in bins and tyres were reported at schools in the Nicosia district overnight as police increased patrols before the start of the new school year.

Police said no similar incidents were reported elsewhere in Cyprus, while patrols and checks at schools continued on Monday.

Nationwide prevention operation

Police spokesman Vyron Vyronos told the Cyprus News Agency on Monday that officers remained on alert throughout the night as part of a nationwide operation to prevent vandalism at schools.

The operation also aimed to prevent final-year students from holding parties at schools on the night before the school year begins, a practice that has become a tradition.

Action plan

The operation followed a meeting at the education ministry, where an action plan was drawn up to prevent a repeat of damage and disturbances recorded at the start of previous school years.

“The night passed relatively smoothly, with some minor problems,” Vyronos said. “In some cases we had fires in bins and some tyres at schools, but there were only three incidents. Everything else went smoothly.”

Continued patrols

All three incidents occurred in the Nicosia district, Vyronos said. Police patrols and periodic checks at schools continued on Monday as a precaution against vandalism and other offences.

“So far, we have nothing to announce,” he said.

Vyronos described the operation as effective, saying incidents of deliberate damage and disturbances had been reduced compared with previous years.