THIEVES have stolen tens of thousands of pounds worth of computer equipment from Taunton Academy.

The school confirmed that equipment and gadgetry worth around £40,000 was taken from the Cheddon Road campus.

Principal Mark Trusson said: “Unfortunately, despite existing security I can confirmthat on Wednesdayevening approximately £40,000 of computer equipment was stolen from the site of our new-build development.

“The Taunton Academy isn’t currently using the site as it’s entirely in the hands of the building contractors completing the new build.

“All the equipment is insured and the perpetrators will find the equipment unusable as it’s secured, but incidents of this nature are still deeply disappointing.

“The building contractors’ security on site has since been increased.”

The building work taking place at the school is part of a £11million sixth form centre which is set to open for the start of the new school term next month.

In November, 2010, the school was the first in Somerset to introduce an initiative to hand out 600 iPod Touch devices to students as part of a £100,000 ‘e-learning’ project.

The academy, created three years ago after the closure of St Augustine of Canterbury School and Ladymead Community School, has about 700 students and 60 staff.

The police are still investigating the theft and urge anybody with information about it to call Taunton CID on the nonTHE Taunton Academy with, emergency 101 number.