By Leicester Mercury | Posted: 18 March, 2016
Businesses in a Rutland market town are rallying to support the charity shop which lost £400 in a break-in by heartless thieves.
Two masked men broke into the LOROS shop in High Street East, Uppingham at around 4am on Monday.
After rifling the till and, unable to find a key to the shop's safe, they ripped it from the floor and smashed down the front door with it before making their escape.
The damage forced the shop to close on Monday and operate part time hours for the rest of the week.
The charity shop will no longer keep cash on the premises at night.
Shop manager Katie Wilkins said: "They broke in through the top of the old fashioned front door and went for the till float.
"They turned the place upside down looking for the safe key and when they couldn't find it they ripped it from the floor.
"They couldn't get it out the window so they used it to break out through the front door and carried it off down the street.
"Thankfully, a man who lives in a flat nearby called the police, but nothing has been recovered yet."
She added: "We couldn't open on Monday and we had forensics here most of the morning. We've been having to close earlier because I've been relying on builders to board up the entrance.
"The main thing is the loss of just under £400 which is needed to help patients and support nurses at the hospice."
She added: "Something like this brings out the best in people and we've been supported by people from Age UK bringing us hot drinks to keep us warm with the door gone.
"Everyone has pulled together and are so willing to help. People have been coming to the shop to donate cash and I am quite touched to hear what local businesses are doing for us to replace the money we lost."
Uppingham businessman Mark Evans, who donated £100 from his two shops, Rutland Antiques Centre and Mark Evans Jewellery, said: "It's the lowest you can go to rob a charity of much needed funds. It is a good charity for the whole of Leicestershire and Rutland and it needs every penny it can get. I have a lot of admiration for the charity, its volunteers and staff.
"I think the donations will rise further still. If there's a positive to come out of this it's that in a small community like this everyone looks out for one another."
The fund now stands at around £200.
Images of two men wearing balaclavas were captured on the town's CCTV camera network, recently updated with high definition equipment by Rutland County Council as part of a £118,000 improvement project.
Ron Simpson, the secretary of community group Uppingham First, who has seen CCTV images of the raid said:"We have clear video of two individuals working their way up Queen Street and High Street East between 3.30am and 4am on Monday morning."
A Leicestershire police spokeswoman said: "The officer working on the case says the suspects' faces are not clear. As such there is no policing purpose in releasing the CCTV."
