Donations stolen from outside shop

CONCERNED staff at a charity shop in Princes Risborough are warning people not leave their donations outside shops after opening hours because of thieves operating in the area.

Carole Buckland, manager of the Shaw Trust Charity Shop, High Street, put up a notice on the front door of the shop at the beginning of the week.

She acted after a resident living near the shop saw thieves stealing donations in the morning before he went to work.

Mrs Buckland, who has not reported the thefts to the police, explained: 'We think it's been going on a few months but the thieves were spotted about two weeks ago taking three or four bags of goods which had disappeared.'

She added: 'I wrote the signs just to bring it home to people not to put bags outside the door when we are not here.'

Mrs Buckland continued to say that the last thing the shop wanted to do was to put people off giving their unwanted goods. But she suggests people should give their donations to shop staff in person from now on.

The manageress at the Iain Rennie Hospice Shop, on Duke Street, Princes Risborough, said she was not aware of any thefts of donations but added that it would be difficult to find out if they had been affected.

She said: 'It's hard to tell because some mornings there's stuff outside and some mornings there's nothing. Nobody has told us about thefts.

'The best thing people can do is to bring donations in when the shop is open. That way we know what has come into us.'

Princes Risborough police said they were unaware of the thefts but said that they would investigate the matter.