Newsroom

School bike fleet stolen

A fleet of Fluid mountain bikes, helmets and locks have been stolen from Rochester Secondary College.

The bikes were donated to the school by a charity after floods ravaged the town in October last year.

Police are seeking public assistance to recover the bikes.

Detectives believe the 30 bikes and helmets were stolen sometime between 24 May and 2 June when unknown offenders forced their way into the school's storage shed.

Teaching resumed at the beginning of the school year but the campus still resembles a building site.

The charity Variety Victoria donated the bikes to the school at the end of April, and staff had already put them to use in physical education classes.

The school had also hoped to use them to encourage student participation in the Great Victorian Bike Ride in November.

"We've never been able to offer a bike ed program at Rochester before — we've never had the facilities, so it was more than just bikes for us," Principal Melissa Gould told the ABC.

“It was a symbol of hope that from the floods that we were able to build back better.

“It was just one more thing that was taken off our students and off our staff and community. It's been crushing.

"All they left behind was one pedal and one helmet," Gould said.

Police are appealing for anyone with information or CCTV footage to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.