CRIMINALS who have stripped lead from a Forest school roof have left the school with a £30,000 bill.

Thieves have struck repeatedly in recent months at Five Acres School in Berry Hill, which has been closed for much of the time owing to lockdown.

Appealing for information, PC Lee Buckle, the officer in charge of the investigation said: “As a local Forest police officer I am personally disgusted that these criminals have targeted a children’s school to satisfy their own personal greed.

“These individuals need to be caught and prosecuted for what they have done.

“The criminals responsible have caused thousands of pounds of damage to the school roofs which have in turn caused further damage to the children’s classrooms and school equipment, all whilst having to cope with the Covid 19 pandemic.

“Please help us to find the persons responsible, I believe that they are local and living in the community among us and have links to the school, let’s stop them from doing this again to another school or property.”

Headteacher Simon Phelps said: “This theft has caused significant damage to our school buildings and has impacted our whole school community.

“I encourage anyone with information, no matter how big or small, to please come forward and report it to the police.”

Officers are asking anyone who has witnessed any suspicious activity or has an information surrounding the thefts to get in touch.

The first crime occurred in mid-October last year, where the offenders entered the school grounds, climbed up on the school roofs, and removed and stole lead.

Thieves have then returned throughout November and December and again in January.

In the latest attack, on January 19, police received reports of around £500 worth of lead being stolen.

Offenders tend to target lead as the price of metal goes up.

A Gloucestershire Police spokesperson said: “The school has taken extra security measures and police have visited the site and given crime prevention advice.

“Police have carried out extra patrols of the school where possible during the day and at night check for trespassers on the school site out of school opening times.

If you have any information on these thefts or saw any suspicious activity around the school please submit information to police online using the tell-us-about form, referencing incident 98 of 19 January or call 101, quoting the same incident number.