Heartless thieves 'trash' charity shop

Darren Hunt, manager of Dr Kershaw's Hospice charity shop in Albion Street, Oldham shows where a raider smashed the front window during a break-in

HEARTLESS thieves broke into Dr Kershaw's in the town centre, just a month after the hospice's Chadderton store had been targeted.

The thieves broke into Dr Kershaw's Town Centre Hospice shop, on Albion Street in the early hours of Monday morning at around 3.30am.

They smashed in the window of the shop and trashed the inside as they looted the store, which had only opened in September.

The charity box had been collected at the end of Saturday evening and the burglars escaped with only a few pieces of costume jewellery.

However, this is the second time a Dr Kershaw's store has been targeted for theft as its Chadderton store on Middleton Road was broken into in October.

Having been closed on Sunday, staff from the town centre store were alerted to the robbery when people from Oldham Market noticed the break in and rang them. Police were called to the store on Monday morning where they investigated.

As a result of the break in the store lost half a days trade while police investigated and staff tidied the damage done.

Income generation manager Lisa Pearson was scathing of the perpetrators and asked why the charity shops are being targeted.

She said: "Why are they targeting charity shops?

"The window has been smashed, they have got in and they have ransacked the place.

"We had emptied the charity box on Saturday so fortunately they didn't manage to get that.

"But they trashed the place."

She said: "Considering that they did the Chadderton store not too long ago it just feels like we are running to stand still.

"They have taken just a few bits and bobs but we are a charity shop and every penny counts."

As well as reviewing CCTV from the store and neighbouring properties to try and find the culprits, they are also looking at installing metal roller shutters to make it more secure.

Anyone with any information should contact police on 101.