Thieves stole £1,200 from a charity shop in Bury after breaking in and taking its delivery van.

On Sunday November 21, the thieves broke into the Mencap charity shop on Victoria Street in Bury.

As well as taking the delivery van which is on a lease agreement, the store has lost its ability to move stock, impacting its sales in the coming weeks.

Sarah Thomas, the Mencap Area Business Manager says: “I have no idea what would possess someone to steal from a charity, particularly as we go into the festive period. It’s incredibly upsetting.

“This time of the year can be a really a tough time for people with a learning disability.

"41% of people with a learning disability have admitted to feeling lonely, with no one to talk to and they’re seven times more likely to be lonely at Christmas.

"The money that is donated to Mencap makes a huge difference to people with a learning disability and their families and we’re so disappointed to hear about this incident.”

Glen Hall, Head of Retail for Mencap says: “Incidents like this have a detrimental effect on us - not only from a financial point of view but emotionally for our staff too.

"It’s so disappointing that someone would think that this kind of behaviour is acceptable and not give a second thought about the impact an incident like this could have on people with a learning disability.

“The £1,200 alone that was stolen could fund 30 people with a learning disability to have a day of activities, giving them a reason to leave their homes and socialise, this festive season.

"That’s exactly what our Christmas appeal this year is fundraising for – to give the gift of hope this Christmas and change the lives of more people with a learning disability.”