UK COMPUTERS STOLEN Churchtown Primary suffers two burglaries in three days - Southport Visiter:

Churchtown Primary suffers two burglaries in three days

Sep 4 2009 by Tom Duffy, Southport Visiter

A GANG has stolen more than £20,000 worth of laptops from Churchtown Primary in back-to-back raids, in a devastating blow for youngsters as they returned to school after their summer holidays.

Burglars first broke into the St Cuthbert’s Road site with crowbars at around 3.40pm on Sunday afternoon, when they stole nine laptop computers and triggered the site’s alarm system. And despite ramping up security after the raid, the school was targeted again on Tuesday night when the raiders used bolt cutters to prise open a secure cabinet and steal around 19 laptops.

Headteacher David Walker, who has been at Churchtown Primary for 15 years, now fears that his pupils’ ICT education could suffer this term thanks to the burglars.

Mr Walker was furious on Wednesday morning when he learned that his school had been targeted so soon after the Sunday afternoon ordeal.

And there was anger at the school gate yesterday morning when parents learned that their children had been dealt such a cruel blow at the start of a new academic year.

Auditors are still trying to establish the precise number of computers that were stolen, and put a value on the damage to school property which was vandalised.

Mr Walker said: “We are now improving security at the school again, with a number of portable burglar alarms which will be positioned in strategic areas. And a crime prevention officer from Merseyside Police is coming out to the school.

“I am furious at this week’s events and so are my pupils’ parents. They have raised the cash to pay for the computers.

“And I fear that the gang who stole them will sell them in pubs as Christmas presents for a fraction of their true value. I can only urge people not to buy them.”

Sergeant Paul Riding of Southport North East Police said: “It’s clearly a distressing time because the children are about to resume their school year and the loss of a large amount of computer equipment will have a serious impact on them.

“I’d appeal for anyone with information about this crime to contact the Southport North East team on 0151 777 3342.”

If you can help Mr Walker replace the laptop computers stolen from his school, please call him on 01704 508 500.