CALLOUS thieves have ransacked a charity superstore just days after opening its doors setting back the efforts of a hospice that works tirelessly to help people with life-limiting illnesses.
CCTV cameras captured two men smashing their way into the brand new St T’s Superstore, which opened recently on McMullen Road, Darlington.
They plundered the offices stealing 200 watches, including exclusive Mont Blanc, Armani and DKNY timepieces, which had been donated from local hotel and gym lost properties, and laptops worth in total thousands of pounds.
Heartless villains also stole the keys to the Mowden Park St T’s shop, which they then plundered.
The superstore only opened its doors last month heralding a new era in fundraising opportunities for St Teresa’s Hospice, which offers peerless care for people in Darlington, South Durham and North Yorkshire.
St T’s retail manager Marjorie McInytre said: “It is hard to believe that people would do such a thing when the hospice movement exists to provide a free service to people with life-limiting illnesses and support for their families. That could be the perpetrators’ mothers, brothers or friends.
“What they did that night will deprive us of the ability to provide this service to someone and I really don’t understand that at all.
“We were broken into several times at our previous depot and I would like to think that the thieves didn’t appreciate it was the hospice they were attacking. But the superstore is clearly marked and it’s hard to believe people can be so callous.”
Mrs McIntyre also revealed that it had come to their attention that an imposter had ‘collected’ a mobility scooter from a generous member of the public claiming to work for St Teresa’s Hospice. The scooter had been left outside and the man had knocked at the door offering to take it to the hospice – but it never arrived.
Mrs McIntyre said: “Our staff and volunteers never cold call; they normally respond to calls from the public, always make an appointment and have valid identification badges.
“The general public are incredibly generous with us and help us raise the £2.2m a year needed to continue our day care, in-patient and outreach services. Thankfully incidents like this are rare but they are incredibly hurtful.”
Donations and house clearances help St Teresa’s Hospice stock shops in Darlington, Thirsk, Richmond, Leyburn, Northallerton, Barnard Castle and Shildon.
Darlington’s mayor Brian Jones recently cut the official ribbon for the flagship St T’s Superstore, which offers thousands of square feet of retail space, warehousing, a distribution centre, an eBay department, as well as facilities to sort, renovate and restore a host of donated goods.
The opening also meant, for the first time, that St T’s is able to deal in ‘graded new appliances’, slightly damaged and unused returns in white goods, ranging from dishwashers and fridges to freezers and washing machines, which all come with a six-month guarantee.
St Teresa’s Hospice chief executive Jane Bradshaw said: “The break-in is disappointing but will not deter us in our efforts. What these thieves did is eclipsed many times over by the generosity of our supporters, volunteers and staff and the unfailing and enduring spirit that exists at St Teresa’s Hospice.”
The superstore is open Thursday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm, but is manned outside these hours to accept donations.
St Teresa’s is also looking for extra volunteers to help in sales and the distribution departments. Anyone interested should contact the superstore on (01325) 488701 or St Teresa’s Hospice on (01325) 254321.