Councillor says charity box theft ‘appalling’
THIEVES stole charity donation from an east Belfast newsagent’s and damaged six cars in a nearby street in a series of incidents which police say may be linked.
The PSNI received reports at around 7.20am on Sunday morning that two males were breaking a number of car windows in the Dunraven Avenue area.
Officers attended the scene and enquiries revealed six vehicles had windows smashed.
Various items including passports, tablets and a sum of cash had been taken.
About 20 minutes later, police received a further report that a newsagent in the Orby Drive area had been broken into at around 4am.
A number of items were taken from the shop including a charity cash box, packages, a courier company’s barcode reader, confectionary and a sum of cash.
Detectives are investigating a link between the incidents.
SDLP Lisnasharragh councillor Seamas de Faoite condemned the robbers and urged witnesses to contact police.
“These are difficult times for everyone, but particularly for many charities who have seen their fundraising activities sig
nificantly curbed due to pandemic restrictions,” he said.
He added it was “appalling” that anyone would seek to steal money raised by the Orangefield community and their local newsagent to support worthy causes.
“I am appealing to anyone who may have seen anything in the area in the early hours of this morning to contact the PSNI at Strandtown.
“I have already been in touch with the local policing team to ask them to step up patrols in the area.”
Local DUP councillor David Brooks said it was “appalling that this should happen to a local small business in our community at any time, but particularly in these already challenging times — and to steal charity boxes just goes to show how low those who carried out this robbery are”.
Police say their enquiries are continuing and anyone with any information about this incident or who may be able to help with the investigation, is asked to call detectives in Musgrave on the non-emergency number 101 quoting reference number 487 of 21/02/21.
Reports can be submitted online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www. psni.police.uk/makeareport