A SCHOOLGIRL is appealing to the thieves who stole her vital schoolwork to return it. Victoria Rogers, 11, left her rucksack in the front of her mother’s Ford Escort while they had dinner at The Wheatsheaf pub in Northdown Park Road, Cliftonville, near Margate.

The car was stolen, and later recovered nearby, but the black rucksack is still missing. Victoria started at Charles Dickens School, Broadstairs, in September and the bag contained all the work she had done so far.

Her mother, Christine, said: ”The bag is useless to anyone except Victoria. It has all her work from the last term. She is doing well, and has nothing to show for it.”

School equipment including a craft apron, a science lab coat and calculator was also taken.

"All the equipment needs to be replaced, and I have only just bought it all. The school has been great. They said they will give Victoria new books, but she has lost her personal organiser with all her merits in, and all the stationery and pens I bought her. It just seems a silly thing to steal, as it is so obviously a school bag, and worthless.”

Police hope the bag will be handed in to them or to Victoria’s school.