CHARITY thieves have struck again in a Christmas-time raid on clothing recycling banks at an edge-of-town superstore.

The gang stole items people had donated for the work of Oxfam – just three days after police detained men acting suspiciously near the clothing containers but let them go.

The incidents happened at the rear of the Sainsbury’s store at Warren Heath. It is understood two or three people have been targeting two large bins in the car park of the store in Felixstowe Road and several times thieves have managed to get into the locked container late at night or in the early hours.

The bins have combination locks and it is believed the thieves have the combination.

The latest incident occurred around 12.25am on December 17. It is believed those involved in the raid on the containers fitted the same descriptions and were driving the same type of maroon people carrier as the men in the earlier incident.

Anne Marie-Breach, a spokeswoman for Suffolk Constabulary, said men were seen on CCTV approaching the containers and appeared to look inside, before getting a vehicle to come over, loading it and driving off.

On December 14 a people carrier was seen in the area of the clothes bank and men were seen acting in a suspicious manner. She said: “Officers attended and spoke to the occupants and their details were taken. No crimes were disclosed at the time, and no arrests made.”