Heartless thieves in charity box raid

BREAK-IN victim . . . The Little Gift owner Lewis Garrity

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OWNERS of a Failsworth gift shop who were instrumental in fundraising for victims of the Manchester attack have become the target of thieves.

The Little Gift has said it will tighten up security after the shop's charity box was stolen by lawbreakers who "battered the door down".

Just one week before the burglary, owner Lewis Garrity was celebrating eight months since opening the shop and said he had "never been happier."

The shop in Ashton Road East previously featured in the Chronicle for fundraising more than £300 for the victims of the Manchester attack through the sale of pink balloons.

But thugs are understood to have kicked down the door to enter the newly established shop and stolen several items of value including a blue Marie Curie charity box which was swiped from next to the till.

Lewis said: "I arrived for work the next day and noticed the charity box was gone. Other bits of money had been stolen.

"I went round the back and found they had come through a door that had been screwed tight shut.

"There were two bolts on it and I had helium cannisters lined up against it so they must have battered the door down.

"What was most annoying was that things had been stolen which we need to keep the shop open."

Days later Lewis was still discovering that items had been stolen. When a customer came to pay by card for the first time since the break-in he realised they had also nabbed the shop's card reader.

Float

The Little Gift, which sells cards, balloons, and a variety of bath bombs, wax melts and candles, was also targeted in February when offenders forced entry through the same door.

During that raid, thieves made off with a television, a £200 speaker and a landline phone as well as float money from the till.

Lewis said: "This second break-in has shown us the weak spots in the building.

"We will have to upgrade everything ­- the alarms, the CCTV, the locks."

He added: "We've had crime scene investigators in and the local PCSO has been really helpful. Someone must know who has done this."

GMP Failsworth & Hollinwood said: "The Little Gift in Ashton Road East was broken into on Saturday night. The kindly offenders even took a charity box with them, how thoughtful."

PSCOs attended the property to take fingerprints but no CCTV footage is available.

Burglary

A GMP spokeswoman said: "Police were called at 9.30am on July 30, to reports of a burglary at a shop on Ashton Road East overnight.

"An unknown offender has approached the property, forcing entry, taken a charity box and money from the till, and then made off."

Anyone with information should call police on 101.