Staff and pupils devastated as thieves wreck brand new school
STAFF and pupils at the Tilbury Pioneer Academy were stunned to return from the bank holiday to find that, only two weeks after opening their new building, thieves had broken into it to steal the copper piping from the heating system. Fortunately they were disturbed as the school’s cleaners arrived to open the building, fleeing only with a small amount of copper. Police have attended the scene to take finger prints from the tools that were discarded in their haste to leave and to review the CCTV footage.
Pupils were understandably distressed and disappointed as this is the third time within a year the Pioneer has affected. One Year 5 pupil summed up the feelings of all staff and pupils when she said ‘I just don’t understand why someone would do this. We are so lucky to have our new building, it’s so brilliant, why would anyone do such a horrible thing?
Kevin Sadler, the CEO of the Gateway Learning Community Trust that runs Pioneer, said ‘I’m absolutely gutted. Our pupils and staff have coped brilliantly for years with a building constructed in the 1920’s that was only supposed to last 20 years. Within two weeks of the opening of the first phase of a complete rebuild of this school this happens.
“Who would do this to children? I wish whoever did this could come and spend a day in this brilliant school where everyone is working so hard to provide the best for the children in our community. How can people be so selfish? This is a massive disappointment for everyone in the local community working to address the tired old stereotype of Tilbury and to improve its profile locally and nationally. Tilbury is a great place with the most amazing people. I would ask that we continue to come together to express our revulsion’.
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