Security alert after break-in
ABREAK-IN at a school in a leafy corner of Halton following a spell of suspected thefts has sparked a security review.
Daresbury Primary has written to parents to inform them that they must now be escorted by a member of staff while on site and can only access the building via the front door and with permission.
Carolyn Roberts, headteacher, wrote on Thursday, January 25, to say the school had discovered on Wednesday that a thief had broken into a locked cupboard in the main office at some point between 4pm and locking up time on Tuesday, swiping cash, bank cards and a cheque books.
Staff were able to act quick enough to stop cash being removed from any accounts.
Mrs Roberts said incidents of small items ‘going missing’ had started before the Christmas break.
She added that all procedures and access have been reviewed.
In addition to mandatory staff escort and permission to enter the site, pupils or parents who attend link clubs cannot enter classrooms after sessions have finished or after youngsters have been dropped off.
A Cheshire police spokesman said the overnight theft was reported at 8.30am on January 24 and it is believed that the incident took place at some point between 4pm the previous day and 8.30am that morning.
He said any forensic investigation of theft will likely be scuppered by finger print contamination on the cabinet because of the number of different individuals who have handled it.
Mrs Roberts said: “This unfortunate and upsetting incident, which has never happened at Daresbury Primary before, has led us to review all our procedures and access to the site.
“It is with great sadness I need to inform parents that from now on parents will not have open access to school and MUST be accompanied by a member of school staff at all times when inside the school buildings.
“Wednesday night open classrooms will not be affected as teachers are available in their rooms at these times.
“At all other times, parents must ONLY access the school through the front door and with permission from the main office.”
Anyone with any information can call Cheshire police on 101 quoting incident number 18100015330. ●