A POOLE shop owner has spoken of her shock after a thief stole a charity collection box last week.

Karen Barton, owner of Magic Moments in Ashley Road, said that she had briefly turned away from the counter to serve a customer at lunchtime on Friday, February 20.

When she looked back the green Macmillan Cancer Support tub was gone. She said: “I feel distraught and my husband too. It is sad that someone could actually do that.

“I have been involved with Macmillan for some time since our own mother had a Macmillan cancer nurse, and another member of my family has cancer now.”

She said she hadn't secured the box as she had not thought it to be necessary.

“People come in here to buy things to do with cakes; it is not a general store and we don’t normally get random people off the street,” she said.

“We are a specialist store and we take people on trust.”

However, she said she would make sure the replacement tub was secured to the counter just in case.

Dorset Police confirmed the incident had been reported and that CCTV enquiries are being carried out. Contact the force on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.