$7500 blinds stolen from Aramoho Kindergarten in Whanganui

Danica Williams, Jake Wakelin and Lillian Callaghan will not be able to learn on the veranda during bad weather for the time being after Aramoho Kindergarten's blinds were stolen. Photo / Bevan Conley

Blinds worth $7500 have been stolen from the Aramoho Kindergarten veranda.

The blinds were installed by The Canvas Man Wanganui in June and pulled down on rainy or windy days to create an extra learning space for children.

Head teacher Sybille Knoerr said it was disappointing to arrive at work to discover the $7500 blinds were gone last Friday.

"I hope that people, if they notice anything at all, ring us or the police. It's just really disappointing that anyone would take from a kindergarten," Knoerr said.

"None of our kindergartens are wealthy, we all have to live within a budget. It's not like we have endless funds."

Knoerr last saw the blinds when she left work on Wednesday afternoon.

The kindergarten used saved funds, as well as fundraising efforts such as a bike-a-thon and parent contributions to purchase the blinds.

Knoerr said the blinds were huge.

"When The Canvas Man installed them, he had to have a scaffold to reach, so they must have brought in a ladder to get up there or something," she said.

"They're made to measure. What will they do with them? They won't fit your place."

A retractable hose worth $200 was also taken from the kindergarten that has an alarm which was not triggered during the theft.

The property has a gate that is locked in the entranceway, but the fence surrounding it is low enough it would be relatively easy to get over.

Knoerr has been at the school for 15 years and nothing has been taken until now.

She said the blinds had been essential.

"I'm not one who spends money willy-nilly. This needed to be done. We had old blinds and they were not well designed.

"Now I am worried. Cut down a few plants, I don't care. Go and have strawberries from the garden, but don't take stuff from us."

Police confirmed the theft was reported on Friday morning and it occurred sometime between October 9 and 11.

• Anyone with information can contact police on 105 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.