AUSTRALIA COMPUTERS STOLEN Thieves steal kids' bushfire aid cash - Northern Territory News

March 17th, 2009

THIEVES raided a Top End school and stolen computer equipment as well as hundreds of dollars that students had donated for the Victorian bushfire appeal.

Police were yesterday investigating the theft at Palmerston High School.

They said about $7000 worth of equipment - three laptops and a video camera - had been swiped, as well as $800 in cash.

Police said it appeared the robbers had entered by an unsecured door in the physical education and health faculty office at some point over the weekend.

But one teacher, who could not be named without Education Department media approval, said all doors had been locked on Friday afternoon.

The teacher said the perpetrators had taken the cash - funds raised by students for bushfire victims - which had been kept in a cabinet drawer.

The loss of the student monies was the biggest blow, the teacher said.

"We had about 25 kids get involved with planning fundraising - they came up with a heap of different fundraising ideas, and the easiest to start off with was a free-dress day.

"The whole school got involved right through from grade 7 to grade 12 - there was a really great community spirit that we had.

"A lot of kids put in $20 notes ... a lot of the senior kids put in good amounts of money."

Police said that investigations were continuing.