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

Police spokesman Vyron Vyronos told the Cyprus News Agency on Monday that officers had remained on alert throughout the night as part of a nationwide operation aimed at preventing vandalism at schools and final year students holding parties in them over the night before school starts as has become a tradition.

The operation followed a meeting at the education ministry, during which 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.”

All three incidents occurred in the Nicosia district, while no similar cases were reported elsewhere in Cyprus, he added.

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,” Vyronos said.

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