CALLOUS crooks made off with money raised for people facing incurable illness after raiding a hospice charity shop. 

St Helena’s shop in Coggeshall was broken into over the weekend with burglars stealing money and causing substantial damage worth hundreds of pounds.

The store, in Doubleday Corner, saw thieves gaining entry by using a crowbar.

Discovered on Monday morning by the shop manager, the aftermath revealed both cash had been taken and significant damage, leaving a daunting repair bill. 

Retail area manager at St Helena Tim Morgan said: “This theft has caused great heartache to our community, along with a large bill for the repairs that will be needed, money that would have been spent on supporting our patients and their families.

“Hospices across the UK are facing a crisis.

“With rising costs, including energy, food prices, and staff costs required to meet NHS pay rises, hospices nationwide are collectively budgeting for a deficit of £186 million this year alone.

“Expenses like this break in are the last thing we need when we’re facing this crisis.

“Only 27 per cent of our income comes from the NHS.

“That means 73 per cent of the income needed to run St Helena is raised through the local community buying in St Helena shops, giving donations, playing Your Hospice Lottery, paying for care from Radfield Home Care in support of St Helena, and leaving gifts in Wills.

“We’d like to thank our hardworking staff and volunteers for their resilience and determination. Despite the shock and upset of this incident they will reopen the store tomorrow.”  

The St Helena shop has been closed today, Monday, November 27, but will reopen tomorrow as usual from 9am.

To contribute towards repairing the shop damage and the loss of funds, you can donate to St Helena at sthelena.org.uk/donate.

Essex Police confirmed it is looking into the incident.

A spokesman said:  “We received a report concerning a burglary at an address in Doubleday Corner, Coggeshall.

“It was reported a shop manager had arrived for work at 8.45am yesterday, Monday, November 27, to find entry had been forced and a safe containing a three-figure sum of cash stolen from the address.

“Anyone with any information or relevant dash cam or doorbell footage is asked to get in touch."

Reports can be made using the Live Chat service, by calling 101 or reporting to Crimestoppers anonymously.

Quote crime reference number 42/210586/23.