YKItreenit, englanti: Aukkotäydennys 5 (KT)

Police are appalled that five volunteer firefighters were robbed yesterday morning while they slept at a motel. Prime Minister Steve Bracks has also expressed his outrage

. The firefighters had been battling fierce blazes in Gippsland since Sunday and were resting at Murphy's Motor Inn, when their rooms were raided about 8.20am. Mr Bracks said he was shocked to learn the firefighters were robbed as they slept. "Police are investigating thoroughly and the full force of the law will be brought to bear if those

.'' Senior Constable Bromley Llewellyn, of Traralgon police, told reporters he suspected the men were targeted because they were firefighters.

The thief, or thieves, stole wallets from each of the firefighters, as well as mobile phones and

. Motel manager David Craddock said the firefighters' rooms were not locked. "That doesn't make it right — there's a lot of lowlifes around the country that prey on people like this," he said. "The firefighters were obviously thought of as a soft target because they're tired and have

.'' Mr Craddock said the firefighters were very

. "They weren't happy, and I wouldn't have been either. They'd been working flat-out all day, and then in the morning they find out

.''