Parkside Primary School head teacher Irene Nierzwicka and school site manager Richard Williams show their despair at this week's metal theft. Picture: Barry Goodwin.

by Adam Williams

awilliams@thekmgroup.co.uk

Metal thieves have struck again in Canterbury ripping every trace of lead from a primary school roof.

Parkside Community Primary School is the latest victim of the crime which has seen several buildings targeted across the district in the last month. The school in Tennyson Avenue was raided around 8pm on Monday with security lights and bins also taken from the site.

Head teacher Irene Nierzwicka held a special assembly on Wednesday morning to spell out the scale of the damage to pupils.

She said: “This school’s come so far in recent years and one of the things we’re renowned for is our unique learning environment.

“That’s taken a long time to build up and now it’s been shattered in an instant.

“It’s the selfishness of this crime that upsets me. It’s a short-term gain for some people, but it will have long-term consequences for the school.

“Repairing the damage is of course going to cost money and it’s the children who will lose out further down the line.”

Police spokesman Jane Walker confirmed staff reported the theft on Tuesday morning.

She said: “We urge people to make sure all tools and machinery are stored securely and to avoid leaving anything lying around that could be used to help a thief climb a roof.

“Lead can be also coated in anti-climb paint, it doesn’t degrade the lead but makes it very messy and difficult for a thief to remove. Silver paint can also be used, this coating reduces the value of the metal and thieves are less likely to steal it and sell it on.”

Sgt Graham Todd added: “We would urge people to be vigilant and contact police if they see workmen on roofs of schools, churches and buildings during unusual hours or people collecting scrap in remote rural locations.”

The school has yet to put a figure on the cost of the damage.

Parkside School is the latest to be hit by brazen thieves.

In January, Cartwright & Kelsey Primary School in Ash was vandalised when nearly 100m of lead, worth an estimated £10,000, was taken from the roof.

Changing rooms at Whitstable Town Football Club were then stripped bare on February 22. The non-league club’s ground was out of action for a week as volunteers helped refit the facilities at a cost of £5,000.

Less than 48 hours later, a changing room block at Victoria Recreation Ground in Canterbury was also vandalised. The city council run facility was closed and dozens of football matches were postponed or cancelled.

Has your home or workplace been hit by metal thieves? Emailkentishgazette@thekmgroup.co.ukor write to Gazette House, 5-8 Boorman Way, Estuary View Business Park, Whitstable, CT5 3SE.