Hungerford Primary head furious over latest lead theft

Gerry Heaton fumed: “It’s stealing from the children, in effect.”
The latest incident was discovered the morning of Friday, July 4 after a series of parents’ evenings earlier in the week.
Lead had been stripped from the former bell tower and the three dormer windows on the Foundation Stage building.
Mr Heaton said: “We have very vigilant neighbours but, on this occasion, we suspect that they were distracted because of all the to-ing and fro-ing.
“The tghieves somehow got over the school fence and used wheelie bins to clamber up. There’s damage to the drainpipe and roof tiles, too. We’ve made things good temporarily but just to repair the damage and pay the insurance excess will set us back £2,000.
“It makes me hopping mad because that comes from our school budget and ultimately it’s the children who suffer.”
Thieves have previously stolen lead on October 14 and 24 in 2011.
Mr Heaton said that the lead will now be replaced with a substitute substance to deter further thefts.