Burglars hit Kennington Primary School in Fulwood

At least £200 of loose change was taken from Kennington Primary School overnight on Sunday.

A gang of three masked burglars used a crowbar to force their way into the school in Kennington Road.

It comes as a number of other break ins have been reported in Fulwood.

Headteacher Simon Pritchard said: “I found out about the first incident when one of my staff had gone in to feed the Guinea Pig on Sunday morning. When she got in there was broken glass inside the building.

“They had gone in the back door and tried to smash a pane.

“Then on Monday morning I noticed on my phone that one of the neighbours was saying that the alarm had gone off.

“I couldn’t believe it, they had stolen the safe. We went into the office and the safe was gone.

“They came in the same way and used a crowbar to get the doors open. They knew what they were after.

“They dragged the safe out into the playground and managed to get it open and then made off.

“They were all gloved up with balaclavas and hoods.

“They knew what they were doing. “We’ve checked the CCTV it’s all on there. They came back at midnight, three of them. They prized the door open with the crow bar.

“They took £200 in loose change. It was lucky that we had our Christmas Fair on Thursday and banked the money, about £1,000, on Friday.

“We didn’t leave the money in the school overnight.

“We’ve got two smashed windows and two small filing cabinets that have been smashed.

“We are going to have to put bolts on the external doors.

“We spoke to the police and forensics came yesterday and did fingerprints.

“Police and Crime Scene Investigators came again

today.

“It’s all probably going to cost us between £500 and £1,000.”

Simon says he has since highlighted the break in to other head teachers at schools in the area urging them not to leave money in school, “especially in this season of Christmas Fairs”.

But Kennington is not the only school which has seen its safe stolen recently.

Elsewhere, a member of the management team at First Steps Nursery in Longsands Lane, Fulwood told the Post the nursery has been broken into twice in the last few months.

Katherine Bethell said: “We’ve been broken into twice now on November 26, a fortnight ago and once on September 17.

“The first time they stole nearly £1,000 cash and over ten iPads and tablets. The second break-in they took around £700 cash.

“We had put everything in a safe and they managed to prize the safe off the wall.

“This time everything was hidden so they didn’t find the iPads and tablets.

“They didn’t touch any of the rooms they just trashed the office.

“We don’t know if they are linked. With the first one it seemed they were more experienced.

“Police came and did fingerprints but we’ve not heard anything back.

“A few of our parents are asking if the area is going downhill.

“We have since gone cashless and installed security internally and externally.”

A spokesman from Longsands Community Primary School in Longsands Lane, Fulwood also confirmed the school was broken into in September.

Police were not available for comment on the break ins.

Fulwood’s Sharoe Green Library in Sharoe Green Lane was also broken into in November.

Steve Lloyd, Libraries, Culture and Registration manager for Lancashire County Council said: “Sharoe Green Library was broken into late at night on November 28 sadly.

“Nothing was taken from the library fortunately.

“The damage caused where entry to the property was gained was repaired very quickly, and the library was able to reopen the next day.”