‘HEARTLESS’ thieves stole a collection box as part of a double break-in at a charity shop in Accrington.

The door to the Hyndburn Project in Blackburn Street was smashed in before the box with around £250 was taken at around 10pm on Thursday.

The raiders later returned to the shop and made off with a Xbox 360 and flatscreen television which had been donated to the project as well as around £60 in cash from the till. It cost around £1,000 in damage and lost items.

Owner Joseph McMurrough said the money in the charity box was to go towards buying a caravan with disabled access at Windy Harbour caravan park.

Mr McMurrough, 56, who owns a number of stores across the Hyndburn area, said: “They smashed in through the front door and stole the collection box from the front counter.

“When I got there it was 10pm so I secured the door but they came back in the middle of the night. They broke open the till and stole a flatscreen TV and Xbox 360.

“We thought we had made it safe, but they got through that. They must have been disturbed the first time.”

Mr McCurrough said people had been dropping cash donations into the shop after hearing what happened via a Facebook page he runs called free items around bb post codes.

“This is what is happening these days. I have no idea who it was or what their motive was. It is a complete shock,” he said.

“That money is gone now and we will have to raise even more. It is very frustrating.

“From now on all the money will go straight in the bank.”

He said people had donated about £60 in one hour after hearing what had happened.

Mr McMurrough also raised concerns that CCTV was not available despite the shop being opposite the Town Hall.

Hyndburn councillor Munsif Dad said: “The project does an excellent job for the benefit of the most vulnerable so it is very sad to see charity shops are damaged in this way.

“It is a Hyndburn people project so any damage to them is damage to the people of Hyndburn. I hope the police catch them.

“People who do this I would class them as heartless. They do a lot of damage to these charities who go out of their way to help.”

A police spokesman said investigations were on-going. and anyone with information should call 101 quoting log number ED1612936