UK COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM NURSERY SCHOOLic Berkshire - Raiders trash nursery schoolMar 2 2004

SHOCKED officials fought back tears on Monday after a wrecking spree by computer raiders forced the shut-down of a popular nursery school and creche.

Sure Start Whitley's Green Frog Pre-school and the neighbouring creche were left covered in millions of fragments of broken glass as raiders trashed the complex while ripping out £8,000 worth of computer and office equipment.

The alarm at the Sure Start base - in the grounds of Thamesbridge College - was deliberately disabled at 9.50pm last Friday.

Sure Start Director Steve Green said: "I feel absolutely numb. The destruction's incredible. "I can live with the computers being stolen because they can be replaced, but I cannot believe they targeted the children's area like this.

"The creche caters for children from six months and the pre-school for the under fours. "Sure Start is all about getting routines and building confidence and to have to close the pre-school and creche so abruptly is devastating for the families. The parents are gutted and disgusted."

The raiders climbed on a dustbin to smash their way into the pre-school classroom, shattering another window to reach the main corridor and then breaking more office windows.

They stole three computers, four flat-screen monitors, petty cash, mobile phones and a projector.

On their way along the corridor to Mr Green's office - where they stole another computer - they needlessly hurled a fire extinguisher through the glass door of the creche, kicking out external door panels to escape.

Mr Green said: "I have no idea why they smashed the creche door. It completely shattered and we're going to have to re-lay the carpet because I cannot risk babies crawling around on it."

Cleaners from Thamesbridge College voluntarily reported for work at the weekend to start the mammoth clean-up task.

Mr Green said: "I cannot thank the school enough for all they've done to help and, of course, our own staff who spent Monday cleaning all the pre-school and creche equipment so we could re-open on Tuesday."