A GOOD Samaritan lost a charity box to thieves while helping a woman who had collapsed.

Robert McHenry turned his back on his collection box and table outside Iceland, in Watergalde, Clacton, for just a few minutes while helping the woman.

He estimated the thief made off with about £50, which would have gone to help blind former servicemen through the charity St Dunstan’s.

The 82-year-old said it was the first time anything of the sort had happened in his six years of collecting for charities.

Mr McHenry, of Coan Avenue, Clacton, said: “The lady was taken ill and I went to sit with her.

“I was there with her for about ten minutes, I was about ten foot away.

“You just trust people. The boxes were just sitting on the table and they took the best one.

“There must have been about £50 in there.

“I looked everywhere, I thought I must have mislaid it. I could not believe it.

“They must be sick to take money for a blind serviceman.

“They must be desperate to steal a box like that.” A spokesman for St Dunstan’s said the stolen money could have helped buy a speaking or magnifying programme to allow a blind ex-serviceman to use a computer.

Denise Yeats, the community and events manager of St Dunstan’s, said: “We were extremely concerned and saddened by the incident.

“Robert McHenry has kind-heartedly been collecting in his local area since early this year and has already raised nearly £300 for St Dunstan’s, who help blind and visually impaired ex-servicemen and women to live independent lives.

“We have spoken to Mr McHenry to ensure his welfare after the awful incident. Undeterred, he still remains determined to collect for the charity and has requested a further two collection tins.

“The tin was taken when he was involved in another kind act, by helping someone else who had fallen to the pavement.

“Unfortunately, the theft of collection tins is a sad fact of modern day life, but it seems it will not stop members of the public shaking their tins for worthy causes.”

Mr McHenry will be collecting for St Dunstan’s outside McDonalds during the Clacton airshow on Thursday and Friday in the hope of raising more cash for the charity.