Mums’ campaign to replace bikes stolen from Millfield High School in Thornton

Two mums have started a campaign to try to replace two bicycles after thieves stole them from school bike sheds.
By Richard Hunt
Published 11th Apr 2019, 14:47 BST
Updated 11th Apr 2019, 14:59 BST
Victoria Walsh (left) and Beccy Clegg have started a campaign to raise funds to replace two bikes stolen from Milllfield High school in Thornton.Victoria Walsh (left) and Beccy Clegg have started a campaign to raise funds to replace two bikes stolen from Milllfield High school in Thornton.
Victoria Walsh (left) and Beccy Clegg have started a campaign to raise funds to replace two bikes stolen from Milllfield High school in Thornton.

Two mums have started a campaign to try to replace two bicycles after thieves stole them from school bike sheds.Six machines were taken by the two thieves on March 28, with the suspects captured on CCTV snapping the bike locks with bolt cutters in broad daylight, while all the pupils were in lessons at Millfied High School in Thornton.Four of the bikes were recovered after they were found dumped in bushes in nearby Hawthorne Park. But two of them have not been found, meaning two youngsters have lost their bikes.So Beccy Clegg (inset, right) and Victoria Walsh, who both have children at the school, decided to help by setting up a GoFundMe page, setting a target of £1,000.In Beccy’s case, her 14-year-old son Jake was one of the theft victims, but his bike was one of those recovered.Beccy, 35, of Sandringham Avenue, Thornton, said: “When I saw the CCTV pictures of the thieves it made me so angry.“Jake felt bad that one his friends didn’t get his bike back, and that was one of the reasons I wanted to help.“We want to raise as much as we can and will keep going until we reach our target.”So far the GoFundMe campaign has reached £140, with some of the contributions coming from pupils.On social media, some of the parents have expressed frustration with the school because the thieves were able to get to the bikes. But Beccy said: “The school is doing everything it can. Millfield isn’t to blame, it is the thieves who have dome this.”It isn’t the first time bikes have been stolen from Millfield - just two months before, five bikes were taken and none were recovered.Millfield headteacher Nicola Reagan said: “We spent hundreds of pounds on the bike shed to improve it, but unfortunately it was broken into. We were absolutely devastated for the boys and their families.“We are now appealing to the local community. Somebody must know who these people are.” To help the campaign visit Ihttps://www.gofundme.com/stolen-kids-bikes-from-school?member=1962208.Anyone who can help police can e-mail [email protected] quoting log number 0864 of March 28.