Three knives stolen in St Leonards primary school break in

Three knives were stolen when a shed at a St Leonards primary school was broken into.
The school's Hobbit House has had its door pulled off and slats ripped off the roof. Picture: Marie BurgessThe school's Hobbit House has had its door pulled off and slats ripped off the roof. Picture: Marie Burgess
The school's Hobbit House has had its door pulled off and slats ripped off the roof. Picture: Marie Burgess

The break in at St Leonards Church of England Primary Academy, in Collinswood Drive, took place on either Friday night or Saturday morning.

Police, who were informed of the incident on Sunday, said a shed - home to the school's forest school - was broken into.

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They said damage had been caused to windows and the door, and three knives had been stolen.

Marie Burgess, headteacher at St Leonards CofE Primary Academy, said she was 'fuming' something like this would happen at the end of a tough week which included new guidance for schools in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

She said: "Our forest school site sits at the heart of our school community.

"It is a project that children, staff, parents, carers and grandparents have worked on and helped us develop. This site was to be used to support keyworkers' children during this challenging time.

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"We were absolutely devastated that this happened but as always our school community have come together with offers of support to get it up and running.

"Our local neighbours have offered to add the school on to their daily dog walking route and despite our limited staff numbers we are checking the site daily."

Miss Burgess said she believes the incident happened on Friday evening.

She said on Monday last week, the schools windows and doors were smashed - the first bit of vandalism she has seen at the school for the seven years she has been there.

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Following the latest incident, Miss Burgess said staff have had to move the ducks in to the school as the vandals had tried to break in to their shelter.

The school's Hobbit House also had its door pulled off and slats ripped off the roof.

The vandals then broke in to the shed and turned over all the equipment in the creative space before spreading it all over the site, according to Miss Burgess.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "On Sunday morning (22 March) we received a report that a shed in the grounds of St Leonards primary school in Collinswood Drive had been broken into, believed on the Friday night or Saturday morning, damage had been caused to the door and windows, and three knives had been stolen.

"Anyone with information is asked to contact Sussex Police online at https://www.sussex.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us/ or by calling 101, quoting serial 336 of 22/03."