Collection box and panto tickets stolen in burglary at Ludlow charity

Bosses at The Furniture Scheme said they believed the alarm may have scared the intruder off before anything else could be taken.

The burglary happened at the charity’s headquarters, Rockspring Community Centre, in Sandford Road, at about 3am on Friday, November 10.

James Cooper, The Furniture Scheme’s operations manager, said: “They got into the reception office where they stole a charity box and some Ludlow pantomime tickets.

“There is not a great deal of damage but it’s the fact that it has happened and that people have donated money into the charity box to help others. It is incredible that someone can do this.

“We were selling the Sleeping Beauty tickets on behalf of someone else and I presume they will be trying to sell them on.

“They also took a projector case with wiring in it - I suppose they used that to carry the box and tickets. They didn’t take anything else and must have scarpered with the alarm sounding.

“It’s really disappointing - we are a local charity with limited funding and are here to help the local community. I am not sure that we were specifically targeted, we have CCTV and an alarm, but it makes you wonder if someone local saw the charity box when we were open and decided to take it.

“Burglaries have become common-place in recent years and we have had our shop and warehouse broken into, a van stolen and our charity shop window in Tower Street vandalised.”

The Rockspring Community Centre is a community hub and as well as offices the centre hosts a range of activities for the benefit of the local community.

If anyone has any information about the break-in they are asked to contact police by telephoning 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org