Burglars fled with a £1,000 projector when they targeted an adult community college for the 16th time in 18 months.

Staff at Bowling Community College say students fees might be forced up after the latest attack on the Flockton Road college in East Bowling.

The raiders smashed the only window without bars in the ground floor college, before wrecking another window to break out of the classroom and swipe an overhead projector from a neighbouring classroom.

Information Technology (IT) teacher Sheila Emsley said: "It is ridiculous. Nothing seems to stop them. I think they knew where they were going because it was the only room with an overhead projector in the college, as we have already had two stolen and two damaged.

"The projector was bolted on to the ceiling but the thieves pulled the wires and unscrewed it from the bracket. This affects our teaching because we can no longer use the equipment and we can no longer afford to replace it.

"We are a very small college. We teach adults basic skills who are trying to get back into learning and working but these things are conspiring against us. It got to the stage last year where I dreaded coming in on a Monday morning because I did not know what I would find."

The break-in was the latest in a catalogue of attacks which has cost the college £60,000 in damage and equipment.

Since last March, the college has lost 12 LCD computer monitors, three computer units and two overhead projectors, and intruders have damaged a computer unit, monitor and wireless connector and a further two overhead projectors.

The college has spent about £10,000 replacing the stolen equipment and forked out a further £50,000 replacing the building's roof and fortifying windows with bars in a bid to fend off intruders. But now staff fear this break-in will push up fees for the adults who use the college.

IT teacher Alison Saxton said: "We are not profit-making and get our funding from the Learning and Skills Council. We keep the cost low because we know the backgrounds our students are from but if this carries on it might force the prices up. We soldier on because we have to but it means the service we offer students in greatly reduced.

"We have always prided ourselves on being open to the community but we can not do that anymore. There are bars on the windows and code-locked doors. Most of the adults who come here have not had a good experience of education. It has always been important for us to work as close as possible with the community but it feels like an isolated prison at the moment."

Anyone with information about the break-in at 7pm on Sunday should call Bradford South Police on (01274) 376459 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.