Stolen Kings

Chess kings kidnapped from Vic school 
Thursday, April 04, 2013 » 12:34pm 
Australia

Victorian primary school students recovering from bushfires have suffered another loss, with the theft of pieces from their much-loved giant chessboard.

Strathewen Primary School was destroyed in the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and the chess pieces were donated by the French village of Villers-Bretonneux as part of the reconstruction effort.

Between March 14 and 18 the kings were stolen from the outdoor board.

Sergeant David Jamieson said the students played with the chess pieces daily and were saddened by the theft.

‘These children have been through a great deal in the past few years and these chess pieces have come to symbolise the rebuilding of their school,’ he said.

‘It’s incredibly disappointing that someone would target a school that has already gone through so much.’

The fibre glass kings stand about 65cm tall and investigators are appealing for public help to track them down.

Anyone with any information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Source: http://bigpondnews.com