Melbourne primary school chook crook caught on camera

A thief has been caught on camera stealing from a school in Melbourne's north but he wasn't interested in computers, or sports equipment.

Instead the culprit stole two chickens from St Marks Primary School in an early morning theft that has left its young students in tears.

The offender can be seen jumping over the school's fence before kidnapping the chooks, Pompom and Nugget, in two separate trips.

The chickens were more than just pets for the pupils and were used as educational tools while the eggs produced were given to a cafe for those in need.

"I started crying because the chickens were gone and my dad told me," devastated student Ruby said.

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Five-year-old Hovsep offered a more upfront response saying: "I hate him, he's dumb."

Despite the obscurity of the incident, police insisted they were committed to finding the thief.

"It's not something we come across often here,” Constable James West said.

“Having said that though, it is quite a serious crime.”

The school's principal, Peter Wilson, admitted the theft had made a negative impact on their community while Ruby offered a cheeky warning to the thief.

"Hey you! Give us back our chickens or I'm going to kick you in the butt!"