73147-13THIEVES have stolen cash from a charity box which a pensioner was collecting in memory of her dead husband.

For the last four years Iris Calver, who lives in sheltered housing at George Hall Court, Welcombe Avenue, has been collecting cash for the Prospect Hospice by asking residents to put their change into a box left on a landing.

The Wroughton-based hospice cared for the pensioner's husband, William, before he died aged 72 from cancer six years ago.

But after the box was ripped open and cleaned out while residents were preparing for a Halloween party, she has reluctantly decided to stop her fundraising efforts.

"It made be feel sick that someone would want to steal all the coppers," said Mrs Calver, 77. "There was probably only about eight to 10 pound in it.

"Prospect Hospice is now going to be losing out because of the mindless thief."

The mother-of-two is blaming people's desperate need to get cash to buy booze and drugs for a spate of thefts over the last year.

A collection box for the Poppy Appeal was stolen last November and raffle prizes, wheelchairs and a CD player have also been stolen.

To prevent further thefts, residents say they are even being forced to lock everything away in their communal lounge.

"We don't know who's coming in or what's going on," said Mrs Calver.

"We're just waiting for the next thing to go missing.

"We usually have a lot of gifts left out for our Christmas dinner but now they will also have to be locked up which is not nice for the residents. Our warden is doing everything she can but it is quite frightening to think someone is coming into the building and doing this."

Warden Sandra Broderick, who discovered the broken charity box on the stairs on Thursday afternoon, is urging residents to be vigilant. "I don't know how somebody could do something like this," she said. "Stealing from a charity is a disgusting act.

"There is a door entry system but there are deliveries so people could come in behind them. We have CCTV but we couldn't see anyone after reviewing the tapes.

"Residents are pretty vigilant here but I will be asking them to be even more vigilant now."

Anyone with information can phone Swindon Police on 01793 528111.

Ben Payne