Thieves target food bank 'causing £5k damage'

The Rainbow Surprise food bank supports about 500 people each week

A food bank says it will have to close its doors for several days after thieves broke in and caused what it estimates to be £5,000 worth of damage.

The Rainbow Surprise food bank in Crumpsall is believed to have been targeted on Saturday night, with windows smashed and money and goods stolen.

The charity, based at Crumpsall Community Hall, supports about 500 people each week.

Some food bank users have already had to be turned away, while some volunteers were left in tears, charity chair Shakar Hussain told BBC Radio Manchester.

Food bank chair, Shakar Hussain says they will have to remain closed for at least two days

Mr Hussain said he felt shocked and numb when he discovered the break-in on Sunday morning.

He said staff at the food bank, which has been running for seven years, had already had to turn people away.

"There are going to be a lot of people who miss out," said Mr Hussain.

Food banks in north Manchester were "very few and far apart", he added, with some people relying on this particular site as they could self-refer for help.

The charity normally runs community fridge on a Monday, with people able to access free sandwiches, pasties and soup collected from local sandwich shops.

"I mean just today, you know, we could have had anything up to, I don't know, 80 to 100 people come through for various different reasons," said Mr Hussain.

He estimated the break-in would costing them about £5,000 as he said some cash had been stolen, with a window smashed and a computer damaged.

Food bank products including deodorant gift sets were also stolen.

A brick found in the food bank offices following the break-in

Mr Hussain said he did not think the food bank would be able to reopen until Wednesday at the earliest.

Volunteers have been asked to come in to help with the clean up.

Mr Hussain said he and fellow volunteers at the charity were grateful for messages of support and offers of help from the community.

The charity has launched a £10,000 fundraiser to enable them to bolster security measures at the building, including CCTV equipment.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that an investigation was under way and no arrests have been made at this stage.

The force said anyone with any information should contact police on 101 or online quoting incident number 2197 of 16/6/24 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.