Over the Easter weekend thieves broke into The Lyndhurst pub in Queen’s Road raiding the tills of £80 and stealing a charity box containing around £30.

But as more and more customers offered to donate to Marie Curie to make up for the losses pub owner Heath Thomas has decided to go one step further and start a fundraising campaign.

He said: “On the Saturday night people got into the pub and stole the float out of the till. It was only £80 but they must be the world’s most stupid burglars as they missed almost £1,000 in change just next to it.

“What kind of a low life does that? There was £1,000 three feet away but in their stupidity and anger they just took the charity box.”

As the weekend’s celebrations continued and regulars heard about the theft of the charity tin donations begun to pile up, exceeding what had been stolen.

The 45-year-old pub landlord added: “People had been coming in giving tenners and fivers and they really got behind us against the burglars. It’s not what they planned but their break-in has led to something really quite beautiful.”

After his own mother survived cancer thanks to the help of charities Mr Thomas pledged that Marie Curie would not go out of pocket, but he did not expect so many neighbours to help out as well.

In an effort to “stick two fingers up at the low lives” a donation page has been set up online and staff are calling for residents to club together and turn a terrible act into something good.

To donate and help the team reach their £1,000 goal visit www.gofundme.com/rj4v5yg