POLICE are hunting a man who attempted to steal a charity box using a knife.

CCTV footage shows the man committing the offence at Boutique 1 in Blackburn.

But having cut the string securing the charity box and walking out of the fashion store in Randal Street, the thief dropped it when challenged and ran off.

Sahaa Desai, 21, who owns the boutique, said: “It happened when my dad was closing up at around 7pm on Sunday. The guy was stood at the front of the store looking around but he couldn’t see my dad at the back. He didn’t say anything.

“He started cutting the string securing the charity box. He then walked out with it.

“My dad followed him and grabbed him. He just dropped the box and ran off.

“I could understand if someone was trying to steal from us but to steal from a charity is absolutely disgusting.”

The man is described as Asian, in his 20s with a distinctive neck tattoo.

A police spokesman said: “We were called at 10.10pm on Sunday to reports of a theft which had happened at 7.10pm. A male has entered the shop and taken a charity box. He used a small knife to cut the chord to the charity box. He has been stopped outside the shop and dropped the charity box, before running off.

“Nobody has been arrested.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting log 1443 of August 6.