Burgled nursery grateful for help

Birstall pre-school nursery were burgled last month. Birstal Chamber of Trade has fundraised £200 to help cover the cost of the break-in.
Pat Thornes and Anne Thompson from the chamber with Sue Brooke and children from the centre. — Birstall pre-school nursery were burgled last month. Birstal Chamber of Trade has fundraised £200 to help cover the cost of the break-in. Pat Thornes and Anne Thompson from the chamber with Sue Brooke and children from the centre.

Staff, children and parents at Birstall Pre-school Nursery were left devastated when laptops and cash were stolen in an overnight raid in March. Phone lines were cut and the alarm system was also smashed.

Though the perpetrators have yet to be traced by police, the crime has seen the local community in Birstall rally round to help the nursery.

A total of £200 has been handed over by the Birstall Chamber of Trade after a quiz night, while Birstall Primary Academy contributed £100 that was raised from a non-uniform day.

Nursery manager Sandra Cockburn said: “The community has really pulled together to help us and we are very touched.

“When we suffered the burglary, the parents’ general reaction was ‘Why would you do this to a nursery?’ But the people who’ve helped us have shown their true colours really. What they’ve done for us is heart-warming.”

Anne Thompson from Birstall Chamber of Trade, said helping the nursery was a “no brainer”.

“It was heartbreaking what happened to them because they are a charity - there’s no public funding to help them - and you could tell they’d been specifically targeted,” she said.

“The staff there are absolutely terrific, and it’s a lovely place.