Staff at a community children’s nursery in Bradford have been left “devastated” by a series of break-ins and thefts of toys they say they cannot afford to replace.

St Mary’s Community Nursery in Hind Street, Wyke, has been targeted by vandals four times in the last six months, said managing director Claire Cooper.

A donation of £500 from parents will now have to be spent on security instead of toys for the children.

In the most recent attack, yobs broke into an outside shed and security storage box, which had cost the nursery £400. They removed toys and left them scattered across the playground.

In previous attacks, the children’s bikes and garden tools were stolen.

Mrs Cooper said: “We don’t know why people are doing it. It is the children they are targeting.

“We’re trying to keep things secure for them. They ask us where their things are and we are truthful and tell them what has happened.

“The parents are devastated, they want to do everything they can to help. Parents raised £500 for us through a treasure hunt, unfortunately it’s having to go on security instead of toys.

“There’s no point replacing the bikes and things if they’re still going to get stolen. We don’t have the funds to keep replacing these things.”

Police are appealing for witnesses to the latest incident, which was discovered by nursery staff when they arrived for work on Monday.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “We were called at 8.55am on Monday to reports of a burglary at a community nursery in Hind Street, Wyke.

“Property was taken from a shed and left on a playground nearby.”

Anyone with information should phone police on (0845) 6060606.