Distraught volunteers at a cancer charity shop had the cash collected for their Christmas meal stolen by heartless burglars.

The Helen Rollason Cancer Charity store, in Newland Street, Witham, was broken into overnight on Thursday, December 7.

When opening the shop the next day, volunteers noticed the back door had been smashed, and a safe had been ripped off the wall and stolen.

Alison Matthews, head of retail for Helen Rollason Cancer Charity, said: “We are all very upset that our retail shop in Witham has been broken into.

“The safe has been stolen, and its contents included around £250 that the volunteers had saved together to pay for their Christmas meal, which is planned for next Tuesday.

“The income we make from our retail shops goes towards funding our Cancer Support Centres.”

The charity shop was luckily able to open again on Friday morning, however staff will now have to pay for the Christmas meal again out of their own pocket.

Bosses from the charity set up a fundraising page to recoup the money which was stolen from the Christmas meal pot. It reached its target within three days.

To donate, visit http://bit.ly/2AJaEVJ.

Essex Police were informed of the break-in on Friday morning.

A spokesman said: “Suspects have smashed a back door window and removed a safe containing a three figure sum of cash. Enquiries are ongoing.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Helen Rollason Cancer Charity provides support and advice to those going through cancer. The charity operates seven specialist support centres offering advice and therapies throughout Essex and Hertfordshire, including in Braintree and Chelmsford.

Visit www.helenrollason.org.uk.