Thieves broke into the grounds of a Royston school at the weekend and stole chainsaws and gardening equipment.

Four offenders – all thought to be men – gained entry to Meridian School between 9.35pm and 9.45pm by using what police believe to be a boltcutter to remove the lock on a set of gates, before breaking in to a storage shed.

They took three chainsaws, two hedge trimmers and a leaf blower before leaving the scene in a vehicle believed to be a black BMW.

The thieves are all described as being of medium build, three were wearing dark clothing and the fourth was wearing a light-coloured tracksuit and light-coloured trainers.

Acting headteacher Kim Horner said: “It’s really disappointing that someone has done this, we are working with the police to try to get the equipment back.

“The equipment is for maintenance of the school grounds, so we do need it and it will have to be replaced.”

Anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the area, or has any further information that could assist the investigation, should call police on 101 quoting crime reference G4/17/788.