A HEADTEACHER has spoken of his pride after selfless youngsters raided their piggy banks to help replace Poppy Appeal cash stolen from their school.

The money — collected by the children selling Royal British Legion poppies and pins — was taken from a collection tin along with laptops and iPads when St Stephen's CE Primary School in Kearsley was burgled on Monday evening.

But pupils felt impelled by the news to donate their saved-up pocket money to the cause to make up for the loss.

Headteacher Tony Lasan said: "One of the low points of my time at St Stephen's was when I arrived to find that the school had been broken into overnight.

"As well as considerable damage to the building and the theft of laptops and iPads, the thieves had also helped themselves to the money collected by our children as their contribution to this year's Poppy Appeal.

"This morning, however, the feeling of devastation turned to one of immense pride as three of our children donated the contents of their 'piggy banks' to help replace the stolen money.

"One of the children in year two sent in his contribution with a letter explaining why he was doing it.

"It brought a lump to my throat and a tear to the eye of Mrs Bonnar."

The little boy who wrote the note was aged six or seven and his benevolence has caught the imagination of others.

One parent, whose five-year-old son attends the school, said: "I think everybody is really upset by it.

"Some of the mums in the playground said the kids wanted to take money from their piggy banks and my family's been saying we're all willing to make a donate to replace the stolen money.

"When it comes to things like this, every makes an effort.

"The whole community comes together."

Police are investigating the burglary — in which the thieves ransacked three officer rooms — and have made no arrests.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.