A gate at a Melbourne school was torn down last night amid a dispute between the school and the local council.

Yarra City Council has ordered Alphington Grammar to permanently open its front gates to the public so people can walk or ride through the school to reach a nearby creek.

The school was initially ordered to remove the gates by May 16, which it refused to do due to concerns for student welfare.

The council then set a second deadline of Tuesday, warning if the school failed to remove the front gates the council would remove them and send the school the bill.

Security footage from last night shows a white Hyundai arriving near another school gate — not the in dispute front gates — just before 7pm.

“Three minutes later what looks like a commercial vehicle of some sort arrives, and the fellow in the white car gets out of the commercial vehicle. They put their hi vis vests on … they take out their tools, one stands guard, two remove it,” Alphington Grammar principal, Dr Vivianne Nikou, told Neil Mitchell.

Dr Nikou said it’s “hard to tell” if council workers or another party removed the vehicle.

“We’ve put in a temporary gate at the moment to just keep these kids inside,” she said.

“The police are on their way.

“This morning we’ve had what looks like organised small groups of locals who are deliberately coming through the school and making their way as far as they can.”

3AW Mornings has contacted Yarra City Council and is awaiting a response on whether they were behind the removal of the gate.

Press PLAY below to hear the Alphington Grammar principal’s response to the gate being removed

City of Yarra sparks emotional protest after forcing school to open grounds to public