Appeal following planetarium theft from university campus

Officers are appealing for the public’s help after a large, inflatable planetarium was stolen from University of Hertfordshire campus.

The incident occurred between 8.40pm and 9.40pm on Monday 21 October.

A trailer was stolen from the observatory in Bayfordbury.

It is believed a silver Land Rover Discovery may have been used in the theft.

Inside the trailer was a large inflatable planetarium and associated equipment. The planetarium is used as an outreach tool to schools and as an educational resource at large events up and down the country.

PC Demi Jessop, who is investigating, said: “The loss of the planetarium has devastated the university. It has wider repercussions for the public, including local schoolchildren, as they will no longer have the opportunity to explore and learn from it.

“I am appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to get in touch. Were you in the area? Did you see suspicious activity or a silver Land Rover Discovery? Please get in touch if you think you can help.

“We have released photos of the trailer and the planetarium in the hope that somebody has seen it. Please take a look at the photos and email me if you think you have seen it.”

Professor Dan McCluskey, Dean of the School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, said: “The theft of our large, inflatable planetarium and its associated equipment is utterly heartbreaking. We regularly use this vital resource at large events, to provide thousands of people across the country with a magical learning experience into the heart of our solar system every year. This includes for the University of Hertfordshire’s Festival of Ideas and the WOMAD festival in the Cotswolds.

“Our suspicion is that the thieves responsible wanted the trailer and got more than they bargained for with its specialist content. It’s why we are urging them to please return the planetarium and its equipment to us, which would be no use to anyone who didn’t have the expertise to operate it. We are also appealing to the public to please keep their eyes peeled in case the planetarium and its equipment has been dumped somewhere, and to inform the police if they see or hear of anything that might help us retrieve this asset.

“We know that for many people, our planetarium is their first or only opportunity to “visit” space in such an immersive and engaging way. We also know these sessions can have a really positive impact on children in particular, whether to inspire them to want to learn more about our universe, or to even start shaping our astrophysicists of tomorrow. We really hope we can get this equipment back to be able to continue providing these important, and special educational experiences for all.”

You can report information online, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference 41/88452/24.

Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form.