Burglars target pre-school (From Thurrock Gazette)

Burglars target pre-school

8:00am Saturday 23rd March 2013 in News

BURGLARS smashed their way into a pre-school in Grays before making off with money raised for the school’s tenth anniversary party.

Little Friends pre-school, in the tea room pavillion behind the Civic Hall in Grays, was broken into between 4.30pm on Tuesday, March 12, and 8am on Wednesday, March 13.

The raiders forced open the steel shutters protecting the building’s windows before smashing their way in.

They raided cupboards for cash before making off.

The school, which is for two to five-year-olds, had to be closed to pupils for a day in the aftermath.

Lorraine, one of the pre-school managers, said staff were “sad” at what had happened.

She said: “It feels like they knew what they were looking for. They stole money, but there’s the damage repairs which will need paying for, too.

“We were really sad and gutted. We’ve had to spend the morning phoning parents to tell them we’re unable to open.

“We are having a fete in June to celebrate our ten-year anniversary. It was money we had been raising for that.

“We feel horrible for the kids and the parents, but they’ve been understanding and some have even offered to help.”

Police urged anyone with information to contact Grays police on 101.