“Scum” thieves stole a children’s charity collection box from a bakery during an overnight raid in Ipswich.
Around £200 was in the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) box cruelly taken from Palmers Bakery in Meredith Road.
Staff have been left angry and shocked by the “despicable” theft, which took place at around 2am on Monday this week.
But they caught the suspects on CCTV and are urging Star readers to help the police track them down.
It comes just a week after a Poppy Appeal tin containing £50 was stolen from The Mermaid pub in Yarmouth Road.
Kieran Palmer, director of Palmers Bakery, a family-run bakery now in its fifth-generation with other stores in Suffolk, said: “I am very angry. They are scum, really, to take money destined for people who need it in their darkest hour. It is a wicked thing to do. Customers and staff are absolutely disgusted
“(Whoever did it) is despicable and the lowest of the low. This money is there to support families when their children are dying and in need of care, and these people just break in and steal that money which people need to help them.
“If they had any decency, they would come forward. It will be on their conscience. And one day, you never know, they might need their (EACH’s) help.
“I hope that if anyone recognises them, because we have extensive footage, that they come forward and contact the police.”
The offenders broke into the bakery through a back door. They also took two other charity collection boxes – for Cancer Research UK and military charity Help for Heroes. Both had around £30 in them.
A staff member at the store, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We really are absolutely disgusted. They are the lowest of the low. You just don’t expect it to happen.
“Our customers can’t believe it. They have spent all year putting their loose change in the boxes. We just hope the police are able to catch them.”
The EACH collection box was due to be handed over this week or next week.
An EACH spokesman said: “We are aware of the theft of an EACH collection box from a premises in Ipswich.
“As the incident is being investigated by Suffolk Constabulary, it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time.”
Police are investigating. There have been no arrests.
If you have any information about this incident which might help police, call 101, quoting crime reference number: 37/66224/16.
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