Tadley headteacher praises public generosity

Community rallies round after Tadley school is targetted by
thieves

THE headteacher of a Tadley primary school has praised the community-minded spirit of those who rallied round to replace Christmas presents for pupils, stolen during a

Hallowe'en raid.

Lyn Downes, the headteacher of Burnham Copse Primary School, New Church Road, commended the community's generosity, which she said had more than compensated them for the material loss following the “distressing”

break-in at the school on the evening of October 31, when Christmas goods to the value of £500 were stolen or destroyed by a hooded and masked gang, who broke into a

shed in the school grounds.

She said that Hampshire County councillor Marilyn Tucker had been quick to contact the school and express her dismay, and that she had offered some of her community fund to replace the lost presents.

Mrs Downs said: “Councillor Tucker has always been very

supportive of the school and this generous offer encapsulates the care and concern she always shows.”

The Tadley branch of Sainsbury's also contacted the school, offering to replace some of the stolen lights for Santa's grotto at the school's Christmas fair.

Mrs Downes said: “Thanks to this generosity, the Christmas

fair will go ahead on December 15 as planned with no impact on projected profits – which are much needed to pay for the theatre group already booked to give a performance of Pantomania in school on November 20.”

However, Mrs Downes said that she was obliged to decline

any money raised by Tadley borough councillor Stephen West,

who had started a ‘Quidz for Kidz' appeal on his website,

after describing the incident as a “despicable act by mindless yobs”.

Mrs Downes said that while the governing body of the school

did not wish to appear ungrateful, it had already accepted the donations of others before it was aware of the appeal and felt that it could not be seen to profit further from public sympathy.

During the break-in, Mrs Downes said that the vandals smeared the shed in tomato ketchup and mustard, leaving

“an unpleasant clearing-up task” for school staff and PTA

members, who had worked hard to raise the money for the goods that were stolen.

Police say that they are being hampered in their investigations into the incident by the reluctance of local teenagers to come forward and name those involved – even though the culprits are openly boasting of their exploits.

Anyone with any information about the incident, should telephone Pc Dean Stickland at Tadley police station on the nonemergency line 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on

0800 555 111.