POLICE are appealing for public support to stop thieves breaking into schools to steal accessories for people to use with their PlayStations.

Eighteen ceiling projectors have been stolen from classrooms across the borough of Darlington in the past three months, the most recent being taken this weekend.

And detectives believe they are being sold on the town's estates for a tiny fraction of their true value - as an accessory for playing video games.

The devices are worth about £2,000 each but, as they can be hooked up to a Sony PlayStation 2 to beam a huge image of games onto bedroom walls, they are being snapped up by youngsters for as little as £25.

Detective Constable Owen Turnbull, of Darlington police, said the thefts began in May and increased as criminals realised the local demand for the projectors.

This weekend, a projector was stolen from Redhall Primary School, in Headingley Crescent. Last Monday, two schools - St John's Primary, in Fenby Avenue, and St Teresa's Primary, in Harris Street - were raided.

Other property, including laptop computers and televisions, has regularly been stolen, but the theft of the projectors has become an alarming trend.

Det Con Turnbull said: "We don't know whether it is one gang responsible for all the break-ins.

"We suspect that it is two or three little teams, all of which want to get hold of this latest hot property."

He urged parents in particular to give the police a helping hand to nip the problem in the bud.

"Parents whose children come home with these projectors and say they have acquired them legally should be thinking that, in fact, they are stolen property and may have come from a local school," he said.

Last month, police and council chiefs both urged residents to be vigilant throughout the summer holidays and report any youths acting suspiciously on school property.

Break-ins and vandal attacks at schools and colleges have risen in Darlington in recent times, with latest figures showing that the number of insurance claims has increased year-on-year by 50 per cent.

Anyone with information about the spate of thefts should contact police on 0845 60 60 365.