PUPILS at Millbrook Primary have been left heartbroken, according to their headteacher, after donated bikes for a training programme were stolen from the school.

Six bikes were taken in the raid on January 31 which Karen Pyman believes was a targeted incident by thieves who cut through padlocks and chains on two gates to gain access to the bike shed.

“Everything was locked up when the site manager left at 4pm on the Sunday and it was on Monday morning we found that the locks on the school gates had been cut with a bolt cutter to get into the grounds,” she said.

“It appears that it was an isolated and targeted incident because nothing else was damaged or missing and so they had to have brought something strong enough to cut through the bike chains.

“The bikes were donated to us by members of the public and people whose children have grown out of them. We have support from the local church, police and Halfords to make them safe for the road. They’re used by children who don’t own a bike to help them learn how to ride.

“It’s a shame really because it is part of our community project. They’re not worth anything to anyone apart from us and they aren’t expensive racing bikes, they are second-hand ones we use for the benefit of children.”

Around 20 bikes are usually kept in the bike shed and are normally used as part of the school’s cycle training scheme which teaches pupils to learn how to ride while encouraging them to cycle to school.

The bikes, which are police registered, are described as a red and white girls Apollo Ivory Cruiser, a red and silver Rhino Cliff Hanger mountain bike, a blue and silver Komodo Concept suspension mountain bike, a red and silver Universal Vortex mountain bike and a yellow GVR Virage bike with racing handlebars.

Mrs Pyman is also appealing for people with unwanted bikes to donate them to the school.

She added: “The children were quite disappointed that anyone would take their bikes which is again a real shame.”

Anyone with information about the stolen bikes should contact the West Swindon Neighbourhood Policing Team on 101.