CHILDREN at an east Hull primary school have been left devastated by the theft of chickens they raised from eggs.
The three chickens – Betsy, Annie and Belinda – were taken last weekend when thieves broke into the coop at Westcott Primary School in east Hull.
Headteacher Carol Marshall said the children had set up a business selling the eggs, with the money going to school funds.
Mrs Marshall has hit out at the thieves, who she believes failed to take into account the impact their actions might have.
She said: "The children had the eggs in an incubator and have reared them from the moment they hatched. They grew so big we had to build their own coop.
"The Year 6 pupils have grown very attached to the chickens.
"The children are really upset by what has happened."
The thieves broke in to the coop at the school in Westcott Street, off Holderness Road, between Friday, May 2 and 10am on Saturday, May 3.
Mrs Marshall said: "The chickens are quite well hidden, so we believe they must have been stolen by people who knew they were there.
"A group of men were seen hanging around close by on the evening they were stolen.
"The coop was padlocked and we believe the thieves climbed over the top.
"We thought it might be foxes, but looking at what happened, a fox couldn't have got the chickens out over the fence and they would have taken the other one that was left."
The chickens have benefited the school in several ways.
Mrs Marshall said: "The whole school has helped look after them and they liked to feed the chickens in the morning.
"The Year 6 pupils have been selling the eggs to parents and even have their own little Westcott stamp. The money raised goes to school funds.
"The business was doing really well and the chickens were laying about 20 eggs a week.
"We wanted to teach the children some responsibility and enterprise.
"This also teaches children where food comes from and the chickens have proved valuable in their education.
"But these thieves have come along and don't care about the impact.
"We fear the children will think 'what's the point?' when something like this happens after all their hard work."
One chicken, called Wilma, was not stolen as she was hiding inside, laying an egg. She is now staying with a staff member.
Mrs Marshall does not know if the school will bring in more chickens.
She said: "We could get some more eggs, but it has taken well over a year to get to this point.
"Buying chickens is very expensive and not something we can afford to do."
Humberside Police is appealing for information about the theft.
A spokesman said: "Three chickens are believed to have been stolen from the chicken coop within the site of Westcott Primary School.
"It has been recorded as a theft as there is no evidence of any obvious predator involvement.
"We are investigating the theft and would ask anyone with information to call us 101."
Children's distressThe children who looked after the stolen chickens have spoken of their distress.
Lucy Thomas, 11, said: "I feel sad because we liked looking after them and collecting the eggs.
"It feels like something is missing from our day now."
Josh Willis, 11, hopes the school will decide to get some more chickens.
He said: "Looking after the chickens and selling the eggs was exciting and now we have had that taken from us.
"We would like to get some more chickens."
Katelan Brookes, also 11, said she was horrified when she heard the chickens had been taken.
She said: "When we found out on Tuesday about the chickens being stolen I was really sad and angry that someone would do that to us."
