POLICE are appealing for information to help identify a man who stole a charity collecting tin from the village post office in Crondall on Saturday, April 7. The tin, which was nearly full, was collecting money for Naomi House Children's Hospice which cares for life limited children. It costs around £2.5 million every year to keep this service running. With just 10 per cent of its income coming from government, Naomi House relies on the generosity of people in the community to continue its work and provide these crucial care services, free of charge, to children and their families. After staff realised that one of the collecting tins was missing, Pritpal Singh, the store owner, reviewed the CCTV tape. A man was seen approaching the counter while the staff were distracted. He took the charity tin and hid it before continuing his shopping trip. Pc Nick Sexton, Crondall beat officer, said: "This is a caring village with traditional values and I am horrified that the generous donations by people in the village have been taken from such a good cause." He appealed for anyone who recognises the man or has any information to help identify the heartless thief to come forward. "I'd also like to advise other shop owners to take special care of their charity tins to try and prevent themselves becoming a victim of this callous crime," he said. Anyone with any information should contact Pc Sexton at Hook police station on 0845 045 45 45 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
