Heartless thieves steal £600 watches from Wakefield Hospice charity shop

The three watches – one valued at more than £400 – were taken from the hospice’s retail shop on Teall Street in Wakefield city centre on August 8. The branch specialises in antique, vintage and retro goods.

The charity said the theft was a big blow at a time when income from its retail outlets has never been so important.

Helen Knowles, Director of Income Generation, said: “I am appalled that anyone could stoop so low to steal from any of the shops in our city centre, let alone a hospice shop.

“Our shops play a huge part in raising vital funds to support the care services provided at the hospice for local patients and their families, and the theft of these goods only makes the task of fundraising, in what is already challenging financial times, that much harder.

“We have been in contact with the police and local authorities but so far have not been able to recover the watches, nor has anyone come forward to return them.”

Only a couple of weeks ago Wakefield Hospice launched a Stock Appeal, asking the local community for donations to tackle low stock amounts.

Helen continues: “We are always so grateful for any donated items we receive for our shops, be it clothing, homeware, accessories or jewellery.

“When we receive high-worth goods – such as these watches – it can be a real boost to our shops’ returns, so understandably staff were devastated when the theft was discovered.

“We cannot, however, let one mindless criminal act stop us pushing forward with our retail offering – we must continue to raise funds to support the hospice, and I ask everyone across the district to please consider supporting our shops and helping us to support local families.”

Wakefield Hospice asks for any donation of goods to be taken, when possible, to its Donation Warehouse, located on Tadman Street (WF1 5QU) with collection available for larger items.

To find out more about donating goods to Wakefield Hospice, visit: https://www.wakefieldhospice.org/support-us/shop-with-us/donate-goods/ or call 01924 383294.