Charity shop staff 'devastated' by break-in

Charity shop staff and volunteers say they have been left "absolutely appalled" by a break-in that has forced its temporary closure.

Saint Michael's Hospice charity shop on North Street in Ripon was broken into and its storefront was vandalised on Monday night.

The shop would be closed for at least two days for essential work, and the cost of that closure plus the cost of repairs would be an estimated £5,000 - equating to two days of nursing for the Saint Michael's in-patient unit, a hospice spokesperson said.

Maria Corbin, who volunteers at the shop every Tuesday morning, said: "It's so sad this has happened. I can't believe anyone would be so cruel as to target a charity shop."

A charity spokesperson said it was likely the offenders forced entry through the front door of the shop and exited through a fire door, leaving it open for the rest of the night.

Shop manager Polly Harvey said the shop was a "total mess", with glass missing from above the door, stock thrown everywhere and cabinet locks broken.

"To say we are devastated is an understatement. It will take days to restore the shop and complete repairs which is already expensive," Ms Harvey said.

"We then need to factor in the closure costs from loss of takings from the store, which funds the vital care provided by Saint Michael's Hospice."

The hospice offers care to people living with terminal illness in their own homes and at the Crimple House hospice at Hornbeam Park.

Ms Corbin said: "It's devastating that a shop that helps provide care for families has been broken into."

She explained that her husband, Tony, who suffered from cancer, had received care from the hospice before he died in August 2023.

"He had no pain at all. He had the most beautiful death, and that's what he wanted. Tony just wanted to slip away and the hospice gave him that," she said.

"When Tony died, we created a tribute page for him and raised £4,000 for Saint Michael's and I will happily donate again to help the Ripon shop."

Ms Corbin said she was donating her own money to help with additional security measures for the shop and asked people to donate cash or items to the shop to make up for the loss.

"What people don't understand is that care at the hospice is free at the point of need and, with inadequate government funding, it's the generosity of the community and charity shops like Ripon that help provide vital income," she added.

"If we don't lose out as a shop, then the people who need help in the community and at the hospice won't lose out either."

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said an investigation into the break-in was ongoing.

Anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage of the incident was urged to get in touch with officers.

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