Hundreds of pounds stolen after burglars smash into Telford charity shop
Shards of glass littered the pavement and metal shutters protruded onto the street after burglars smashed their way into a Telford charity shop.
Hundreds of pounds were stolen from the Hillbrae Rescue Kennel Charity Shop in in Limes Walk, Oakengates, when it was broken into overnight on Monday.
Marty Burrell, owner of the rescue kennel, said she was devastated and furious when she was made aware of the incident on Tuesday morning.
The shop is one of two that supports Hillbrae Rescue Kennel, with the other in Dawley. The charity cares for stray and unwanted dogs until they find a home.
Mrs Burrell said it was a supporter of the charity who notified her about the damage.
"You can't get much lower than stealing from a charity shop," she said.
"All of our volunteers work so hard to make money for the kennels.
"It's a charity at the end of the day and for someone to break into it is devastating.
"We got a phone call from one of our supporters that was walking past and he told us what had happened.
"They don't seem to have ransacked it but there is a small amount of money kept inside the building."
Furious
Officers from West Mercia Police and Oakengates town councillors attended the shop yesterday morning to assess the damage and board up the entrance.
Burglars took the shop's till, broke into a safe and stole a charity box and loose change.
"I'm honestly furious that these lowlifes who are probably going to spend it on drugs can choose a charity shop to break into," added Mrs Burrell.
Her son, Pete, who manages the kennels, was first on the scene after residents spotted the damage.
He said: "It's obviously really frustrating and we're annoyed it's happened. They've stolen about two or three days' takings as well as the till and the charity box.
"It's hard to put a number on it but it must have been more than £400; plus the cost of replacing the till and other things.
"The police have been and are just investigating things as it stands.
"We haven't got any cameras but there's two lots of CCTV on the street so we're hoping that will have caught something."
Anyone with any information should contact West Mercia Police on 101.
Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org
