School minibus found damaged after pupils' appeal

A school minibus was stolen and driven over moorland before it was found abandoned with a large part of its engine missing.

The red minibus was taken from outside Moorfields School and Nursery on Ben Rhydding Road, Ilkley, at about 20:30 GMT on Sunday, West Yorkshire Police said.

Pupils from the reception class at the independent school made a poster appealing to thieves to return it, before it was found by a dog walker in Riddlesden, Keighley.

Police said the minibus was seen being driven at speed by youths at Keighley Gate, the start of a road which leads over Ilkley Moor to Riddlesden, on Sunday and are appealing for anyone with information to contact them.

A statement from the school said the vehicle was seen following a Land Rover on the moor road on Sunday.

It was found by a dog walker early the following morning, who rang the school and sent photos.

The school said: "It had been dumped in woods near the Scout activity centre on Elam Wood Road, Riddlesden, and the damage is so great that the school no longer has a minibus.

"The children are all very sad that their beloved red bus has gone. It also causes problems for those parents whose children are collected every morning and brought to school on the minibus, living as far afield as Gargrave, Skipton and Keighley."

It added a message from pupils to those who stole the bus, which said: "We loved our bus and all our trips and we are all very sad now."

Police said: "This morning officers from Keighley neigbourhood policing team located this minibus which had been stolen from a local primary school overnight.

"The bad news is that those responsible had already dismantled and stolen most of the engine bay.

"Now we'll keep our thoughts on people that steal from children to ourselves, but the good news is that the process can now begin to get this back to the school, and forensic enquiries are now being progressed to trace those responsible."

The school and nursery caters for children aged from 2-11. It was founded in 1930 and counts the late bestselling author Jilly Cooper among its former pupils.

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