A TOWN has united to raise funds following a break-in at a primary school in which takings from a charity fete were stolen.

After the “heartless, premeditated” burglary, the mayor of Lechlade has promised to have more CCTV cameras installed to help tackle the recent rise in crime.

St Lawrence School in Lechlade was broken into over the weekend and money raised at an annual summer fete on Friday, June 24 was taken from an office – just weeks after a spate of arson attacks shook the town.

But the community has responded by rallying together to raise money to replace the school’s stolen takings.

Mayor Steve Trotter said: “The burglary was a heartless premeditated crime which has really upset the school and the community. 

“The police are investigating and CCTV footage is being examined.

“The town council is supporting the fundraising by local businesses and again the town residents and businesses have demonstrated true community spirit in coming together as a result of yet another crime in our town.

“As a response, the town council are erecting a further eight CCTV cameras around town in the coming weeks which will be directly accessible by the police.”

The fete, organised by Friends of St Lawrence School (FOSLS) committee with the help of parents, teachers and local businesses, as well as pupils themselves, had taken months of planning.

Funds raised were due to go towards new climbing equipment on the school grounds.

Cllr Sue Coakley, Cotswold District Council ward member for Lechlade, said: “It is really sad that so many people, including young children, worked so hard to raise this money only to have it stolen by a heartless thief.

“However, Lechlade is a great community and local businesses have already stepped in to offer support.”

FOSLS aims to raise £1,500 through a 'crowdfunding' campaign, while The Lechlade Co-Operative store, Colleys Supper Rooms and The Crown are all raising money for the school through their own fundraising events.

Co-Operative staff members Kelly Foreshew and Billiejo Sheppard are organising an in-store fundraising event for Monday, July 4. 

Kelly said: “The support we’ve had so far has been overwhelmingly positive. The community are really pulling together with this. We’ve all just had enough. This has gone too far now.

“We [Co-Operative staff] helped set up the fete on Friday,” said Kelly. “I was there in the pouring rain putting up marquees. My six-year-old goes to the school and he came home in tears when he found out what had happened.

“It’s the children that suffer, they don’t understand what’s going on and it upsets them.

“The staff here are devastated. We came together after the news and just said let’s have a big charity do. Let’s do something to help.”

Staff members will all be in fancy dress, riding exercise bikes from 7am to raise money, while cakes will also be sold.

Kelly said she has contacted the school to see if they can borrow pupils to help pack bags and take shopping out to cars for extra donations.

“It’s still in the planning stage,” said Kelly on Tuesday, “but we’ve already raised around £140.”

Colleys Supper Rooms will be donating 20 per cent of this Sunday’s lunchtime takings to the school.

A Colleys spokesman said: “Such a sad day for the children of St Lawrence School. Hard work, sheer determination and all that fun taken away. We’d like to help by donating 20 per cent of this Sunday lunch’s takings back to the school.”

It is not known exactly how much money was stolen in the break-in as the takings had not been counted yet.

Anyone with information about the crime is urged to call police on 101 quoting incident 57 of June 27.

You can also contact the independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through their Anonymous Online Form at crimestoppers-uk.org.

No personal details are taken, information cannot be traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

Donate to the FOSLS campaign at https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/fosls-lechlade