THIEVES are stealing goods worth at least £200 per month from a Rochdale town centre charity shop raising vital funds for cancer research.

Items such as a jackets and coats are being stolen on a regular basis from the Cancer Research UK shop in Yorkshire Street, says manager Gordana Bond.

Mrs Bond says her team of 25 volunteers have been left feeling upset and stressed by the constant thieving from their shop. But they are determined to carry on working hard to help raise money for cancer sufferers and to help fund research.

Last Saturday thieves took £100 worth of new Breast Cancer Awareness Month goods, including £9.99 slippers, £6.99 cosmetic bags, £4.99 rubber ducks and £2.99 mugs.

Mrs Bond said: "The question is what they are going to do with these goods as they all have the Breast Cancer Awareness Month logo.

"They are not appropriate to give to someone as a gift or to sell.

"I have people who work here voluntarily for several hours a day and then somebody comes in and takes things away.

"We have always had stealing here but this is just too much.

"I have people who are 85 years old working here and 70 per cent of them have been affected by cancer. So they take it personally when this happens.

"My volunteers prepare the stock and they work here for five hours a day so for them this is stressful.

"We don't understand why people have to steal clothing from us, a charity, when they can buy it for 20p from a car boot sale.

"We have a minimum of £200 worth of goods stolen from the shop every month and that could be raising money for Cancer Research.

"As well as working here my volunteers organise events such as tombolas so this is hard for them."

A Cancer Research UK spokesman said: "Cancer Research UK’s funding comes from public support, and profits from the shops make up a significant part of this.

"We are really sad to hear about the incidents in the Rochdale shop, as profits from the sale of the goods which have been stolen would have helped to fund our vital research into beating cancer."