A PUPIL had her £1,500 laptop stolen while giving up her free time to help young people with special needs.

Lynette Thesher, 16, from Sevenoaks, was doing voluntary work at St Peter's Church, College Road, Hextable, when her computer containing her GCSE course work was stolen.

She was working for Voluntary Service Unit, based in Sevenoaks, at the time.

Lynette was helping pupils with learning and physical disabilities when thieves broke into the unit's minibus outside the church taking her laptop and smashing her special prescription glasses.

She was in the middle of her GCSE exams and is a special needs student with mild dyslexia. She received funding for the laptop from Kent County Council because of her dyslexia but now her parents are worried they will not be able to afford to replace the laptop which was not insured.

Director of VSU in Sevenoaks Pene Clarkson said: "We do have this problem of where the safest place for pupils belongings is. If you take things into other people's buildings security can be a problem."

Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 with any information on the theft.

December 4, 2001 12:42