Harlow: Headteacher Calls Laptop Thieves "Heartless"

27 January 2012, 11:22 | Updated: 27 January 2012, 11:32

The headteacher of a Harlow school, which featured on a documentary, has called thieves who made off with 30 laptops "heartless".

Passmores Academy in Tracyes Road, which was on Channel 4's 'Educating Essex', was broken into sometime between 10pm on Monday (January 23rd) and 6am the following day,

Headteacher Vic Goddard said: "I am at a loss to understand how any group of people can feel so little for the future of our town and wider community to do something so destructive to the education of our young people.

"To attack a school in such a manner for greed is heartless. I am appealing to our community to keep your ear to the ground for any signs of the laptops being moved on to other people.

"If you are in a pub and somebody offers you a cheap laptop please let us know. I am dedicated to providing our young people with a safe and secure environment and today I feel that I haven't achieved this.

"We work to improve the lives of our young people and to help make Harlow a place that we can all be proud of but today I am embarrassed for the community I serve. Help us to find out who did this as this is a direct attack on our children's futures."

Investigating officer, Pc Laurence Turton said: "I am appealing for anyone who is offered a second-hand Hewlett Packard laptop for sale or knows where they might be sold on, to contact us.

"We will be able to eliminate any genuine sales from our enquiries. Police are in possession of all the serial numbers for the computers. I would also like to remind people that handling stolen goods is a crime."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Pc Laurence Turton at Harlow police station on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.