Warning after hospice charity badges are stolen from church (From St Helens Star)

Warning after hospice charity badges are stolen from church

4:04pm Tuesday 12th February 2013 in News

RESIDENTS are being warned that crooks may try to use hospice charity badges - that were stolen from a church - in distraction burglaries.

Up to 30 Willowbrook Hospice badges were taken from St Luke’s Church in Eccleston.

An offender allegedly walked in the church’s toilet, spoke briefly to some volunteers and asked to use the toilet before leaving.

But he returned a short time later to steal a yellow and blue charity box and the pin badges.

The badges were being sold to raise money for the hospice.

Detectives are already investigating one incident where a person has gone door to door selling them in order to commit a distraction burglary.

They want to hear from anyone who has been offered the badges for sale by doorstep collectors.

Detective Constable Jeff Huxley from St Helens CID said: “To steal something from a church, which was meant to raise money for a local hospice is appalling.

"To then use those stolen goods to trick your way into someone’s home to steal again makes it even worse.

“There may be people who have fallen victim to a distraction burglary without knowing, by someone using this tactic, so I would urge anyone who has been offered these pin badges by someone cold-calling at their home, to contact me.

“Legitimate charity workers do not conduct their legal fundraising in this way.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Jeff Huxley on 0151 777 6842 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

• A 17-YEAR-OLD boy has been charged in connection with the theft of the Willowbrook charity box and the pin badges