By XAVIER SMERDON
LAVERTON students have been dealt a low blow with about $30,000 worth of bikes used for an innovative education program stolen at the very beginning of the school holidays.
Between 5pm on Friday 23 September and 9am Monday 26 September padlocks were cut by the thieves who stole up to 30 bikes and a large TV.
Learning Community Principal Sophie Mougos told Star that everyone at the school was devastated by the robbery.
“We are very disappointed especially because this isn’t just kids doing a smash and grab,” Ms Mougos said.
“They took the time to take the bolts off the doors. If they were kids they would have just smashed the windows.”
Ms Mougos said that the bikes were bought through government grants and were used to teach students cycling safety and other important things.
“All the senior bikes are gone so when we come back for
the next term we’re going to
have Years 7, 8 and 9 students that will be stuck studying theory for the rest of the term,” she
said.
“It will be a huge disruption for the educational programs at the school.”
Police could not give an exact number of bikes stolen, but it is estimated that between 26 and 30 bikes were taken.
Each bikes costs around $1000, meaning that the heist adds up to a huge financial blow for the school.
The school was only built in May this year, but Ms Mougos attributed part of the theft to the poor standards of the old existing building that the bikes were stored in.
“With these old buildings, the longer they’re left standing the more they’ll be broken into,” she said.
Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
