Stolen water feature returned

A vital piece of evidence and detective work by school staff has led to police returning a water feature taken from College Row School last week.

The South Western Times last week reported that the donated water feature had been taken from the school, which caters for primary and secondary students with disabilities.

A staff member from the school went to an address on a receipt - found at the school - and peeked over a fence to find the water feature in the backyard.

The staff member contacted police, who went to the house and retrieved the water feature.

South West Police Sgt Laurie Seton said officers spoke to a 20-year-old woman at the house and she had since been charged with stealing.

Sgt Seton said returning the water feature to the South Bunbury school on Friday was "very satisfying".

"Once again, without assistance from the public, we wouldn't have had such a great result," he said.

No one else has been charged, but Sgt Seton said the water feature was too heavy to be lifted single-handedly.

College Row School principal Cale Begley said he was overwhelmed by the community response following the loss of the water feature, which was donated to the school by the family of a graduating student.

"We received a lot of offers - even to have it replaced - but it obviously wasn't needed," he said.

"The school is extremely grateful for the positive community feedback, especially for those people who donated not only the feature but their time and effort."

A 20-year-old Withers woman will appear in Bunbury Magistrates Court on September 30.

"The school is extremely grateful for the positive community feedback, especially for those people who donated not only the feature but their time and effort" - Cale Begley