Christmas Wishing Tree presents stolen from Brisbane daycare centre

IT WAS a Wishing Tree intended to teach daycare kids about the joy of giving. But callous thieves put paid to that.

CALLOUS thieves have spoiled Christmas for almost 30 children after stealing all the wrapped presents at a Brisbane daycare centre.

Childcare workers at Hamilton House on Kent St, Hamilton, were devastated when they arrived at work this morning to find the centre had been broken into.

About 50 presents meant for children in need had been stolen from under their Kmart Wishing Tree overnight.

Centre director Lisa Hunt said the Wishing Tree had been set up in November to teach children the spirit of giving, with parents buying and wrapping gifts to be given to charity.

The presents were scheduled to be delivered to Kmart on Monday.

“What’s saddest is parents have taken their kids out specifically to buy a gift for the tree and teach them about giving,” Ms Hunt said.

“They took every present that was wrapped but not the ones that weren’t.”

Ms Hunt said children at the centre had been asking what happened to the presents.

Hamilton House Daycare kids Anaise Colgan, 3, and Winter Menerey, 4, have learnt a harsh lesson tanks to some callous thieves. Pic: Tara Croser

Three-year-old Anaise Colgan said the “baddies” had taken them and made everyone sad.

“It’s horrible how someone could do this so close to Christmas,” her mother Kristelle said.

“The presents were meant for charity, it’s disgusting that they (the thieves) did that.”

Every window at the centre had been damaged as thieves attempted to gain access, managing to break a lock of a small side window.

The thieves turned off all power and disarmed CCTV cameras.

Teachers at the centre said the robbers had even used an old throw blanket to use as a sack for carrying the presents.

“They looked through every drawer in the office and even stole some chocolate,” Ms Hunt said.

This is the third year in a row Hamilton House has set up the Kmart wishing tree and teachers said it had been the most successful.

Other items in the centre, including personal presents for teachers and electronics had also been stolen.

Queensland police confirmed that an investigation into the robbery is underway but no one has been arrested.