A Brookfield childcare centre that has been broken into four times in four months has been reunited with play equipment stolen in mid-July.
Security footage captured the thief breaking into a storage shed at the Eclipse Long Day Care and Kindergarten about 2.15am on Wednesday, July 15, and stealing buckets before rummaging through a sandpit.
Equipment valued at about $5000 was stolen. It included spades, tricycles and buckets.
The man, believed to be Caucasian with shaggy hair and in his 40s or 50s, gestured at the closed-circuit television cameras several times. He loaded buckets, spades and tricycles into a 2007 silver Kia Carnival. The thief took a wooden play bridge, loaded it on to the roof racks and drove off.
Police were unable to identify the registration number of the vehicle.
Senior Constable Joe Catania, of the Melton burglary unit, said police found the items dumped on the side of Gisborne Road, Bullengarook, about 40 kilometres from where they were stolen. All the items, except the play bridge, were found on Wednesday.
Senior Constable Catania said the theft of children’s play equipment was “despicable”.
“Both the staff and children were quite distraught upon discovering their play equipment had been stolen. And it’s happened a number of times.”
Police are still looking for the offender.
Senior Constable Catania said police believed the man was responsible for all four break-ins.
In March, whitegoods, including a fridge, were stolen, and in June the thief broke into the centre twice and stole hot water systems. Those items have not been found.
