Girls’ underwear stolen from leisure centre

A CONCERNED parent has described the theft of his daughter’s underwear from a Co Down leisure centre as “very sinister.”

His daughter was swimming at Bangor’s Aurora leisure centre yesterday afternoon as part of an Easter club excursion, but when she and her friends returned to the changing room, her father said a number of the girls discovered that their underwear had been stolen. The PSNI has confirmed officers are investigating a report of items of clothing being taken from the facility.

The father did not wish to be named to protect the identity of his primary school-aged daughter.

But he wanted to speak out about the incident which he described as “very concerning” and urged anyone with information about what happened to speak to the police.

“They had been told to put their bags into one of the large, group rooms in the changing area but it mustn’t have been locked,” he said.

“Some of the girls found their pants had been taken, so given the nature of the theft, that’s very concerning and very sinister.

“I would just hope that anyone with any information would come forward to the police.”

A spokesperson for the PSNI said that police officers in Bangor are investigating the report of a theft from a “leisure complex in the town this afternoon, Thursday, April, 20. It was reported that sometime between 2.30pm and 3.45pm a number of items of clothing were stolen from the changing rooms at the facility,” the spokesperson said.

Gordon Pennock, partnership director at Bangor Aurora Aquatic and Leisure Complex, said that the PSNI were “immediately notified” as soon as staff realised something untoward had happened.

“We informed the police immediately following the incident and will be supporting them to investigate in any way we can,” he said.

He also echoed the dad’s plea for anyone who can help the investigating police officers to come forward.

“If anyone has any information which may help the investigation we would urge them to contact the police.”

Aurora opened in 2013 and includes Northern Ireland’s only 50m Olympic swimming pool.