A primary school has been left frustrated by an energy company after a lack of heating oil forced the school to close on Monday.

Reedham Primary School’s heating oil was originally reported as stolen on February 27 and police are linking the crime with a similar oil theft reported on the same day at Cantley Primary School.

Reedham Primary School immediately ordered replacement oil, however, it could not be delivered due to snowy conditions.

Chris Edwards, headteacher, said he had been left frustrated by the lack of communication from heating oil providers, Certas Energy.

He said: “I had to phone up five or six times because they kept saying they would call back but they never did. When the delivery eventually did come at around 5pm on Monday they didn’t call ahead, so I couldn’t liaise with the boiler engineer.”

The school reopened on Tuesday, but a tripped fuse meant pupils had to huddle into one classroom while an electrician reconnected power to the boiler.

Mr Edwards said: “Its been like a Fawlty Towers sketch at the school recently, its just been one thing to another and another - when is it going to end?”

A spokesperson for Certas Energy said: “Reedham Primary School received a delivery Monday although it was cut back to 800 litres for reasons that are explained below.

“The notes in the account indicate we kept in regular contact with the customer and explained no vehicles were able to leave Norwich at the time of chasing. The customer raised a complaint around lunch time and the delivery was prioritised and on site the same day.

“In times of severe weather, such as we have just had, our trucks are sometimes not able to leave the depot or to get to all customers, something that has happened across the country. This is compounded by a spike in demand, decreased stocks of heating oil and difficulties for our own colleagues in making it into our offices.”

Anyone who may have any information relating to the oil thefts at the schools are asked to contact the police on 101 or anonymously on 0800 555111.