A PRIMARY school has been forced to cancel its annual Christmas bazaar today after thieves broke in and caused £5,000 worth of damage.

Burglars smashed their way into Bulphan Primary School, wrecked the hall and fled with a laptop.

It is thought the thieves got in through a window.

Laura Fishleigh, headteacher at the school in Fen Lane, said: “Thanks to the exceptionally quick response of the alarm company and the police, the thieves were interrupted and only managed to steal a laptop, which held no school data on its hard drive.

“But the damage done by the thieves getting into the building will cost us more than £5,000 to repair and includes damage to the school hall’s doors.

“For safety reasons, we are unable to hold our bazaar and this has also forced us to cancel some assemblies.”

Despite the disappoinment, pupils had the chance to become reporters and police officers for the day, investigating the break in.

Mrs Fishleigh added: "While this was a horrible experience, the pupils had exciting lessons that day when they all became reporters and police officers recording the facts and finding the evidence, the work generated was fabulous."

“Throughout the whole experience, the school has been overwhelmed by the generosity and support given to us by our parents and by the wider village community.”

In place of the bazaar, the school’s PTA has organised a Christmas Fayre, which will run alongside the school’s production of Annie at Bulphan Village Hall next week.

The break-in happened at about 2am on Friday, November 22.

Thurrock Gazette:

Pupils Freya Cullen and Dylan McDonald investigate the burglary at Bulphan