Teenage yobs make off with charity cash

THE Pineapple pub, Shaw, from where the charity collection bottle was stolen

CALLOUS yobs marched into a Shaw pub and stole a charity collection for a local scout camp.

An eye witness says at around 11pm on Tuesday four teenage boys entered the Pineapple Inn pub on Rochdale Road and made off with a large whiskey bottle, containing around £50 in change collected for the Dog Hill Scout and Community Camp Site.

Mike Williamson, a warden for Dog Hill Scout and Community Camp Site, says there was only himself and the barmaid in the pub at the time and that all of the boys looked under the age of 16.

He says three of them distracted himself and the barmaid while the other swiped the charity bottle.

Mr Williamson added: "Around three of them marched into the pub. They all looked no older than 16 and you could could tell they had intentions to do something. They walked around the other side of the bar towards the toilets and the barmaid followed them and was asking them to leave. I walked round to help and when they left we realised the charity collection was gone. Another one of them had snook in while we were both distracted and made off with the money."

Greater Manchester Police are now investigating the incident and say they would like to speak to four youths who were asked to leave the premises and were seen heading down Rochdale Road.

GMP say three of the youths were described as white and the fourth was described as mixed race.

Mr Williamson says the Pineapple Inn support Dog Hill Scout and Community Camp Site.

He added: "We're hoping to add a zipline to the site soon and all the money we can get goes a long way. The pub and the people of Shaw show us great support. We rely on this support."

Anyone with information should call GMP on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.