A Perthshire community is fighting back after cruel thieves stole a much-loved teaching aid from a local nursery.
Parents of children at Rattray Primary Nursery School in Blairgowrie have pledged to either donate money or fundraise to replace 35 nature-themed wooden discs.
Thieves recently stole the items, leaving nursery school staff “at a loss” to explain the reason behind the theft.
PC Robbie Spence, of Blairgowrie Police Station, stated the discs are used as a “treasure hunt” for the children, as well as being a learning device for them.
“To the rear of the school there is a garden which is fenced off, however the fence is about three foot tall and not particularly difficult to climb over,” he said.
“In this garden there are a number of trees and benches and generally things for the kids to do and play with. These wooden discs hang from these trees and form part of a ‘treasure hunt’ for the kids.”
He continued: “The discs have very little monetary value but they are a great source of fun and learning for the kids.”
School staff posted a message on Facebook, expressing their shock at the callous theft of the discs.
Head teacher Lyn Boxall said: “We are saddened that there are individuals out there who would take away this equipment from our little ones. It is hard to see how an incomplete set of materials like this could be of any use to anyone outwith a learning centre.
“At the same time we are heartened by the response of parents and members of the wider school community who have come forward to offer to replace the missing items. We are really fortunate to have such a supportive parent group and really appreciate their willingness to help.”
PC Spence said the nursery believe local youths are using the garden as a “hang-out” and have likely taken the discs during a weekend.
“A couple of the discs have been found in nearby gardens and returned to the school,” he added.
“In terms of police involvement we have had a good search of the area, in nearby bins and parks looking for the discs and have given the garden a lot of passing attention over this bank holiday weekend.
“Officers have also carried out some house-to-house inquiries at nearby and overlooking houses. Unfortunately, we have not had a positive result.”
Anyone with information on the theft of the wooden discs should phone police on 101.
