‘Heartless thieves’ have smashed their means into an Eastbourne charity store, stealing money and clothes donated to the city’s cats and kittens.
They focused the Cats Protection charity store in Seaside, Eastbourne, in a ‘smash and seize’ raid simply earlier than midnight on Friday, March 13.
Bricks have been thrown via a glass door with workers describing a ‘path of devastation’ via the store because it was ransacked with change stolen from a until and the gathering tin taken. They mentioned clothes had additionally been grabbed from the rail.
Police have been alerted to the raid by a close-by resident, however the thieves had left the scene by the point police arrived on the store. Officers remained on website till the premises was safe and returned to gather proof the morning after the attack.
Staff and volunteers mentioned they have been ‘shaken’ by the incident, however rallied spherical to sweep up the damaged glass and tidy the cabinets to organize the store to reopen, with the broken door briefly boarded up.
Anna Walker, store supervisor, mentioned:
“Charity outlets like ours work exhausting to boost each pound, particularly in these troublesome instances. We are pleased with our store and we do our greatest to make the window shows engaging and welcoming to our common prospects, so it was particularly demoralising to see the harm achieved.”
The store sells new and second-hand objects to assist the work of Cats Protection, the UK’s largest feline charity, in its mission to assist cats in want and promote higher welfare for all cats.
Although the store has reopened, it faces giant payments to restore the harm to home windows, shows and inventory.
Area retail supervisor Richard Preece added:
“This has been very upsetting for our workforce in Eastbourne, who make sure the store is clear, well-stocked and welcoming to prospects who spend hard-earned money with us, figuring out it’ll assist native cats.
“Now we need that money to repair damage caused by these mindless criminals. That can’t be right, can it? For someone to target us, to steal from an animal charity and the volunteers who give up their time for a cause that means the world to them, is heart-breaking.”
To assist proper the mistaken, the charity is interesting to its many form supporters within the Sussex group to come back ahead with donations to recoup losses because of the attack.
Richard mentioned:
“We get pleasure from superb relations with native retailers and buyers in Eastbourne, we’re a part of a powerful group. Our focus now’s to get again on our ft, guarantee our workers and volunteers really feel secure at work, and to place this upsetting incident behind us.
“So we are asking the generous people of Eastbourne to help with any financial donations or good quality second-hand items so we can replenish our stock and continue to raise vital funds for local cats in need.”
Sussex Police are investigating the break-in and anybody with data can contact them citing crime reference quantity 47240050390.
