STAFF at a town nursery have spoken of their sadness after thieves stole a children’s playhouse just hours after it was delivered.

Ipswich Star: Spitfires nursery carers Lauren Leach, Danielle Reed and Charlotte Davidson sit with children from the nursery after a playhouse destined for Bluebells nursery was stolen from an area in front of the nursery on Tuesday, 15 January.Spitfires nursery carers Lauren Leach, Danielle Reed and Charlotte Davidson sit with children from the nursery after a playhouse destined for Bluebells nursery was stolen from an area in front of the nursery on Tuesday, 15 January. (Image: Archant)

Police believe the thieves pinched the item at some point between 4.30pm and 6.30pm on January 15, after a delivery driver left the flat pack playhouse in a bin store next to Spitfires Nursery in Hening Avenue, Ravenswood.

Staff and parents had raised money to buy the children’s toy but have now been left heartbroken at the thought of having to start their efforts from scratch.

Julie Bullivant, director of nursery services for Alpha Nurseries, which runs Spitfires, said: “We were really disappointed when we discovered that it had been taken.

“We couldn’t really believe it because it would have just been delivered and then taken almost straight away.

“To think that someone could steal a children’s toy is not nice. The playhouse was going to be used at another one of our nurseries in Ipswich (Bluebells in Bond Street) but we had to have it delivered to Spitfires because the access is better there.

“We had to raise about £150 to be able to get it so everyone is really disappointed.

“We now just hope someone will come forward with information because the children were expecting to be able to play in it and now we have to tell them otherwise.”

A police spokesman said the incident was being investigated by officers and urged anyone with information about the crime to contact Pc Oliver Walker on 101.