Deaf News: Swastikas seen on walls of abandoned former Birkdale Deaf school in Southport

Deaf people often look back at the Deaf schools they attended with a sense of pride and belonging.

So it’s hard to imagine how former pupils of Birkdale Deaf school, which closed in 2003, are feeling this week.

The school has hit the news twice in just a few days, with both stories linked to the former school’s building and grounds.

A video posted on Southport Visitor’s website by urban explorers walking around the school shows how the school building has fallen into disrepair since 2003, including the gym, below:

And what appears to be the school’s swimming pool:

The video shows how ceilings have been torn down, brick walls are crumbling, and classrooms can be seen strewn with rubbish. Worst of all, among the many examples of graffiti, swastika symbols can be seen painted on walls.

Watch the video and read the story here.

Earlier this year, a town councillor said that the school was “blighted by yobs” and that the building had not been properly secured.

A letter about the school building has also been published in the satirical magazine Private Eye, and was kindly sent to us by a reader. Read it below: