Published: Saturday, 15th November, 2008 16:00
Warning after Oxfam store burgled yet again
By Judith Green
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A CHARITY shop manager is warning people to be on their guard against bogus collectors after heartless thieves stole a collection tin.
The Oxfam store in Broadway, Bracknell, was broken into for the fourth time this year in the early hours of Friday morning, despite police increasing their presence in the area last month.
Manager Terri Girling said: “I just want to warn members of the public to be on their guard against people with a collection tin who say they are collecting for our Congo Crisis.
“We have not authorised anyone to do this and if people want to donate to our appeal they should come into our shop, though obviously we don’t have a collection tin at the moment. I would like to say people are still very welcome to come into our shop.”
Mrs Girling was called to the shop at approximately 3.30am on Friday when the alarm went off, and when she got there she saw someone had broken the lock and the security alarm.
Mrs Girling added: “It’s not the money, it’s the principle that someone has come into our shop and taken our collection tin. There was only a couple of pounds in it but I reckon it will cost hundreds of pounds to have our lock and our security system fixed.
“I think when they got there and the alarm went off they panicked and broke it when they tried to stop it. We have had the police here with scene of crime officers investigating but they have told us they can’t find any fingerprints in the shop so obviously whoever did this was wearing gloves.”
A police spokesman confirmed they were called to the shop in the early hours of Friday morning to a break in and that it had been referred to the Bracknell Neighbourhood Policing Team for investigation.
Anyone with any information is urged to contact Thames Valley Police on 08458 505 505 or the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.
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