OFFICIALS at a town hospice have been left devastated after callous thieves stole a catalytic converter from one of their furniture moving vans.

The theft took place at St Elizabeth Hospice in Foxhall Road at the end of April and it cost about £300 to replace and repair the parts that were stolen from the van, which transports donated furniture.

The hospice looks after an estimated 2,000 people every year and the funds they raise through donations and their shops is vital for them to continue providing services.

Police are aware of the theft, which happened sometime between April 22 and April 28.

A spokeswoman for the hospice said: “Some of our shops stock furniture so if people want to donate furniture there is now a process where they ring up and we will go out and check it out.

“If it is all OK then we will pick it up free of charge.

“The money made then goes into the charity – It is crucial for the charity to raise funds in this way.

“It is a blow for everybody that supports the hospice because that money could be spent elsewhere helping local people.”

The cost of replacing and repairing the stolen parts is roughly the equivalent of funding a hospice nurse for about a day.

It costs just under £9million each year for the hospice to run its services and the funds the charity receives also come through the fundraising efforts of hundreds of people in the area.

The spokeswoman added: “We would like to appeal for anyone who has information or was approached to contact the police.

“We have got security at the hospice but we will be tightening it further following this theft.”

St Elizabeth Hospice helps to improve the lives of people who are living with progressive illnesses in their homes or at the hospice.

If you have any information about the theft, please call Suffolk police on 101 quoting crime reference, IE/13/1243.