School devastated by floods left ‘gutted’ by theft of 32 donated bikes

Students and staff at a school in Rochester - ravaged by flood last year - have been left devastated after bikes donated in the wake of the natural disaster were stolen.

Rochester was devastated by floods and now the community faces an additional blow, with donated bikes stolen. Picture: Jason Edwards

A school in a flood ravaged northern Victorian town has been left “gutted” after a large number of bikes were stolen from school grounds.

On Friday afternoon, teachers at Rochester Secondary School made the “heartbreaking” discovery that 32 bikes that had been donated as flood relief by a Victorian charity in April were missing.

Mitch Bright, the teacher who organised the bikes through Variety Victoria, had been using them in his PE classes.

He said Friday was “devastating.”

“The teacher who went over to use them thought I was playing a prank on her,” he said.

“I ran over there quickly, and the whole shed was just empty, it had been completely cleaned out.”

The thieves took everything in the shed, including helmets and bike locks.

“A lock had been cut on the back door of the shed and the door had been jimmied open,” Mr Bright said.

Rochester locals during the height of devastating floods late last year. Picture: Jason Edwards

The school was planning to use the bikes to afford students the opportunity to participate in the Great Victorian Bike Ride later this year, but it is now in doubt whether this will go ahead.

The town of Rochester is still recovering from major flooding that ravaged the town late last year.

Rochester Secondary College itself is still rebuilding, all of the buildings at the school went underwater, and only half of them are now operational

School principal Melissa Gould said the act of stealing the bikes was “pretty rotten.”

“People were just gutted, they were hurt that someone thought this was an okay thing to do,” she said

“Many of the students and staff at the school are currently living in caravans and sheds due to the devastating floods, many students lost their bikes.”

Ms Gould said the theft’s impact on the community was “another kick in the guts for a community that’s doing everything it can to get back on its feet.”

“The joy on these kids’ faces when we got the bikes, when we set them all up in the middle of the school on the day we got them, they were so excited,” she said.

“In just over a month they’re gone.”

It’s not the first time the school has been targeted, in February when the school’s operation returned to Rochester in portable buildings 15 laptops, two mobile phones and a 65 inch TV were stolen.

“For a community that is hurting and exhausted this is just too much,” Ms Gould said.

Police are aware of the incident and were on the scene on Friday.

A police spokesman said that the Fluid brand gear that was stolen was “thought to be worth around $21,000.”

“Detectives believe unknown offenders have forced entry to a storage shed on Rochester Secondary College’s grounds, on Edward Street, sometime between 24 May and 2 June,” he said.

Anyone with information or CCTV footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au