Thefts leave hospice charity staff 'deflated'

Staff at a hospice charity say they have been left "deflated" after a series of thefts from their shop.

Rotherham Hospice said thieves had struck twice in the past two months.

In the most recent incident on 14 September, they said a man had walked out of the Parkgate branch with a pram and a number of electrical items, having earlier used counterfeit money to pay for a drink.

CEO Mat Cottle-Shaw said he felt charity shops were becoming a "prime target for people that are unfortunately becoming ever more desperate".

He said: "For our staff to see things walk off the shelves and be taken just so brazenly is so disappointing."

Funds raised through the shops go towards supporting both patients and their families he said, adding that without that extra revenue "we simply wouldn't be able to carry on functioning".

He went on to say he feared incidents of theft from charity shops could rise and spoke about the impact that would have.

"People find it too expensive to buy what they need and unfortunately charity shops are an easy target," he said.

"When people take from our stores, they're not just taking from the hospice, they are taking from our community.

"Our retail stores are a connection with communities. They generate money in order for us to carry on our services, but they also are a key touch point for people to come and volunteer, get back into work, or to learn about the hospice."

South Yorkshire Police said it was aware of the most recent incident and said a report had been "filed pending further information coming to light".

Anyone with information is asked to contact the force.

The two recent thefts come after a break-in at the hospice's donation centre in Rawmarsh Road, when a window was broken and a donation tin was stolen in July.

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