Charity shop damaged during overnight burglary

The shop in Lincoln was raided overnight on Monday

A burglary has caused "thousands of pounds-worth of damage" to a Lincoln charity shop.

The St Barnabas Hospice store on Wragby Road had its front door smashed during the raid overnight on Monday.

The charity's retail manager Caroline Peach said she was "really cross and angry" at the theft.

She said jewellery and a collection box with money in it were taken in the raid.

"It's not fair for anybody to experience damage and theft," Ms Peach said.

"But when you're a charity trying to raise money to help local people and local people do something like this it just makes you really, really cross and angry and upset for the people that we're trying to take care of and upset for the people that are supporting us."

Lincolnshire Police said it was investigating a series of burglaries in the Wragby Road area.

It said there was a report on Sunday of a burglary at Evolution Hairdressing, an attempt burglary was reported on the same day at Aldi, and an attempted burglary was reported at Lovelle estate agency on Monday.

St Barnabas provides services including palliative and end-of-life care and has two in-patient units – one in Lincoln and one in Grantham.

Earlier this month, the charity said it needed to shed jobs and cut costs to address "growing financial pressures".

Caroline Peach said the burglary had caused thousands of pounds-worth of damage

Ms Peach said in light of the financial problems the theft "seems even worse".

"No time is is ideal for something like this," she said.

"But on the back of us being very honest and open about how we are struggling financially, to have this happen to us just beggars belief."

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