Special School’s Minibus Rendered Inoperable by Fuel Theft, Hindering Student Transport

A special school’s minibus has been taken out of service following damage inflicted by fuel thieves. Personnel at Applefields School in York reported difficulties in transporting pupils with additional needs after the fuel tank was tampered with, resulting in one of their three minibuses being written off. A Gofundme appeal initiated to replace the vehicle has, to date, accumulated over £2,000. The bus was utilized to transport students on excursions to destinations such as Scarborough, and for activities including cinema visits and ice skating. Lydia Waites, the assistant headteacher, stated that both students and staff were left “devastated” by the incident. She further explained: “We’re having to pay for taxis to enable our students to go and access the activities that they have on a weekly basis.” Planned enrichment visits, which students had been anticipating, have been canceled due to the shortage of transport. The school aims to collect £10,000 to acquire an accessible vehicle suitable for its pupils’ requirements. Ms. Waites also commented: “We were going to go on a residential trip soon and we were going to use the bus to take equipment and to take one of our students who may need some additional stops on the journey.” She emphasized: “It’s important that we get the bus back to be able to operate all of our other educational visits.” A representative for North Yorkshire Police confirmed that the fuel theft occurred at the school premises during the night between Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 November. They stated: “The suspects drilled the tank of the 63-reg Fiat Ducato school minibus and took around £100 worth of fuel.” The police spokesperson further indicated that enquiries were ongoing.