Break-in at church

MEMBERS of a Bacchus Marsh church say they’re saddened, rather than angry, following a break-in and theft of groundskeeping equipment.

St Andrew’s Uniting Church was recently broken into, with tools stolen from the premises.

The grounds are maintained by a ‘Dad’s Army’ team of volunteers, including David Buntine, who said it was disappointing given the grounds are used by many in the community.

“We lost about $2,000 worth of tools…I suppose my attitude is it’s on church property in the centre of Bacchus Marsh, and we try to keep the place looking nice and tidy,” Mr Buntine said.

“It almost operates like a park area in the middle of Bacchus Marsh, people sit on the grass which we keep mowed, they walk through there and have lunch there.

“So the disappointment is probably on their behalf, and that whoever took those items don’t place any value in the value to the community of the grounds.”

A wheelbarrow, electrical tools including drills and power saws, and more were taken from the church.

Thankfully insurance will cover some of the theft, Mr Buntine said.

“You try and look after something for the people of Bacchus Marsh, but unfortunately there’s a few ratbags around,” he said.

“That’s probably our biggest disappointment, rather than getting cross…we don’t want the place to look dilapidated and have the grass being too long.

“People say we do a pretty good job of looking after the grounds, so it’s a bit of a kick in the guts.”

If you have any information on the break-in and theft, contact the Bacchus Marsh Police Station on 5366 4500, or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.