Thieves escape empty handed after break-in and ransacking Doncaster charity shop

Police are probing the break-in which took place at the Barnardo’s store on Wheatley Hall Road before Christmas.

The raiders smashed their way into the store through the front door before ransacking the shop and offices before fleeing empty handed.

The shop was forced to close following the break in, with a volunteer saying: “We will not be opening or taking donations thanks to the scum who think it’s OK to break into the shop and trash the place.

"It’s a children’s charity shop for God’s sake.”

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “We were called at around 9.15am on 16 December to reports of a break-in overnight at the Barnardo’s charity shop on Milestone Drive, Wheatley.

“No money is kept in the premises overnight and the offenders left empty-handed.”

“The investigation has since been filed pending any further lines of enquiry coming to light.

"If you have any information which could assist us, please call 101 quoting incident number 302 of 16 December.”

You can also contact independent charity CrimeStoppers to report information anonymously through their dedicated UK reporting call centre on 0800 555 111.

Founded by Thomas John Barnardo in 1866, to care for vulnerable children, Barnardo’s is the UK's largest children's charity, in terms of charitable expenditure and has helped thousands of children at homes and locations across the country with charitable donations and funds raised through a network of shops boosting funds.