Mossgiel Park Primary School student Zaky and Lyn Pentland, Rhonda Andrews from the South Eastern Christian Centre, Pranish,
By Kelly Yates
POLICE have been left with a bitter taste in their mouths after thieves stole church-donated bicycles from an Endeavour Hills primary school.
Sergeant John Blackburn from the Endeavour Hills police station has dubbed the act as “disgraceful”.
The volunteers from the South Eastern Christian Centre in Endeavour Hills handed over 12 bicycles to Mossgiel Park Primary School around three weeks ago.
According to police, the thieves stole six of the junior size bicycles sometime between Friday 13 November and Sunday 15 November from the school’s caged compound.
The thieves are believed to have used boltcutters to break into the cage.
Principal John Wall said he didn’t believe the thieves were associated with the school.
“We couldn’t see any right-minded individual associated with our school stooping so low,” he said.
“The bicycles were awaiting allocation to families in the school who couldn’t afford to purchase a new bicycle.”
Mr Wall said the school had also been the target of “mindless vandalism”.
“With the vandalism and the theft of the bikes, it puts a real slur on the community,” he said.
The stolen bicycles include a boys’ Huffy Deploy with a black and yellow frame, a boys’ Huffy Crusade with a blue frame, two Star Wars Revenge of the Sith bicycles with orange frames, a boys’ Speedwell Defiance with a purple frame and a boys’ Cyclops Rock with a blue frame.
All of the bicycles have been engraved with an identification number.
Mossgiel Park Primary School’s primary welfare officer Lyn Pentland said staff and students at the school felt “gutted” by the theft.
“We all just feel totally sick,” she said.
“Now those parents won’t receive a bicycle to give to their children for Christmas. It really dampens the Christmas spirit.”
Rhonda Andrews from the South Eastern Christian Centre pastoral care team told the News the bicycle donation was part of a church community project by the volunteers.
“The project was all about building partnerships within the community,” she said.
“We feel really disappointed. It’s sad for the families that have missed out.”
Police are calling for witnesses.
“The stolen bikes are junior ones so we believe local kids are riding them,” Sgt Blackburn said.
“Parents should check under their children’s bicycles for an identification number and if they are the stolen bicycles, they need to be handed over to police so they can be given to the people in need.”
Anyone with information is urged to call Sergeant John Blackburn at the Endeavour Hills police station on 9709 7666.
