Thieves ransack Homeless Street Angels' van taking food and crates of coffee after full restock

Thieves have broken into a homeless charity's van and stolen food and crates of coffee.
photos: Becky Joycephotos: Becky Joyce
photos: Becky Joyce

Homeless Street Angels' Co-founder and Director Becky Joyce had restocked her van with food after dropping food parcels to the families that the charity supports on Saturday night.

Then, on Sunday night, she took dinner to one of her "guys in his flat who was struggling" and had gone into her van to get him some "cans of Fanta lemon and treats to go with it".

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Becky said her hands were so full with food that she had forgotten to lock the van, and then on Monday morning she woke up to find the van having been broken into and "a lot of stock gone" outside her Roundhay home.

The charity director added: "It's very upsetting as we spent a fortune on Saturday restocking our food bank and it clearly says our charity name all over the van."

Becky took to Facebook on Monday morning to express her anger in a post that said: "So through the night this happened!!!!!!!!

"I’m more sad than angry -who would break into a homeless charity van on Saturday myself and sister went to Makro after dropping all our Saturday food parcels to families so had to restock our food bank and also buy some of the more expensive items that go into our food parcels-anyway unfortunately I took a Sunday dinner out last night to one of our guys in his flat who was struggling and I went in the van to get him some cans of Fanta lemon and treats to go with it and forgot to lock the bloody thing as my hands were full -long story short a lot of our stock has gone so someone somewhere especially in Roundhay will be trying to sell lots of jars of Nescafé -absolutely Shame on you the families we support can’t even to afford to feed their children #homelessstreetangels."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Becky added a donation button on her Facebook post, and has since raised over £1,700 to restock the van.

Her post received over 300 likes, 200 shares and 120 comments, including numerous people labelling the thieves as "disgusting".

One person commented: "This is beyond disgusting.

"Stealing from anyone is bad enough but when it clearly states what the van is for."

And another said: "The thing is that you would have given them food and coffee if they'd have asked for it.

"Sad times when someone like you gets robbed."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Becky has since described the morning as "heartbreaking" and said she felt "really sad" but has been "truly overwhelmed and is grateful for everyone's kindness and support throughout the day."

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: "Police are appealing for witnesses after thieves broke into a van used by a charity in Leeds overnight.

"Officers were called at about 9.19am on February 8 to a report a Ford Transit van parked on Hollin Park Mount had been broken into overnight with two crates of coffee taken.

"Anyone who has any information about the break-in is asked to contact Leeds District Police on 101 referencing police crime number 13210065949.

"Information can also be given online at www.westyorkshire.police.uk/101livechat or anonymously to the independent Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111."