Italian teens flood Milan school

The Parini school had only recently been refurbished

Four Italian teenagers have confessed to taking extreme measures to avoid sitting an ancient Greek exam.

The three girls and a boy blocked drains and turned on taps in a bathroom of one of Milan's most famous schools.

They left the taps running over the weekend, and the ensuing flood caused an estimated 500,000 euros ($630,000) of damage.

The school's headmaster, Carlo Arrigo Pedretti, said he was shocked when he received a letter admitting the prank.

"I am stunned, I cannot believe it," he said.

"These teenagers have no idea of the consequence of their actions."

The four were being questioned by police on Thursday and risk being charged with vandalism, breaking and entering and disrupting a public service.

The Parini school is one of the oldest state educational institutions in the northern Italian city.