Heartless thieves steal charity box ahead of Christmas

Commenting on the theft, a PSNI spokesperson said: “Thanks to a call from a member of the public, police recovered a charity collection box at Ballycarry Railway Halt earlier this week.

“Sadly, the top of this box had been forced off and the contents removed. Well, removed isn’t the best description. Someone has sunk so low that they saw fit to steal money that was donated to help fight a disease that is killing people.”

The spokesperson added: “We are working with Diabetes UK to establish where this box was taken from. Hopefully that will lead us to some CCTV evidence, maybe a description of a suspect. All trains have CCTV systems, we only need that one lucky break.

“If this was you or you think you know who was responsible, then give us a call or come see us for a chat. If Karma is a thing, then having stolen from a charity at Christmas Time should qualify you for major payback. If you haven’t the guts to face what you did, could at least post the money to us, or Diabetes Uk. A letter of sincere regret and apology should be included.”

The police spokesperson said help was available if the person behind the theft carried out the offence to fight hunger or poverty, stating: “If by some Christmas miracle, you’re not just a common thief, but did this out of desperation to fight hunger or poverty. Then come and see us. Help is out there. Stealing isn’t the answer.”