Thieves stole a safe containing hundreds of pounds from a Leeds charity shop after smashing their way in through the roof.
The burglars scaled a fire escape, shinned their way up a drainpipe and climbed a television aerial to get onto the roof of the British Heart Foundation shop on New Market Street, opposite the Corn Exchange in the city centre.
They then tore off roof tiles to get into the store before escaping with the safe and about £300 in takings.
The safe was found empty and abandoned on the fire escape steps following the overnight raid. Manager Julie Milner said: “I feel really sad that somebody could just break into a charity shop and do this.
“I can’t understand why someone feels they have to target a shop like ours for the sake of £300.
“We work on a voluntary basis and the volunteers are really upset.”
The incident happened between 6pm on Tuesday night and 8.30am on Wednesday morning.
Ms Milner said police had been in to look for evidence, but it is thought the thieves were wearing gloves.
The safe was on the upper floor, which is also used to store stock.
Much of the shop’s stock was ruined in the incident.
“We’re not doing too badly as a shop – we’re really busy,” Ms Milner said.
“But this will affect us because the stock that was ready to go down into the shop has been damaged by soot falling from the roof.
“It’s going to cost us a lot to get scaffolding up for the repairs, to get in some industrial cleaners, a new safe and filing cabinets.
“It will have a big impact.”
Ms Milner appealed to people to donate clothes, bric-a-brac and books to replace the lost stock.
The incident is the latest in a string of raids on charity shops across the city.
The Salvation Army in Morley was broken into twice in December.
The charity’s shop on Meanwood Road in Meanwood was then broken into on Christmas Eve.
Last month, the Children’s Society, Barnado’s Scope and Age UK in Morley were all targeted.
Comments