Video shows sparks flying as thieves strip parts off UTC South Durham school bus

GCSE students were left unable to get to college for an exam after thieves stripped the school minibus for parts.

Teachers at the County Durham college had to step in to make sure their pupils got to the exam on Monday 19 June after the vehicle was put out of action.

CCTV from UTC South Durham, in Newton Aycliffe, shows thieves stripping it for parts and carrying parts of the vehicle from the site.

The site security team was notified of the break-in on the evening of Sunday 18 June.

After assessing the damage, they concluded it was un-roadworthy as the majority of the front had been removed from the vehicle.

The thieves also broke a bike free from the designated student bike shelter and stole it, the college said.

Tom Dower, principal of the UTC said “This incident is deeply frustrating – it has impacted on our students sitting exams and travelling to their place of work as well as being time consuming and expensive to manage.

"However, I have been very proud to see our staff going above and beyond to ensure that our students’ high quality education continues”.

Police have said they are currently dealing with the matter. The break in happened at around 6pm on Sunday 18 June. Anyone with information is asked to contact Durham Police.

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