A CHARITY has been hit by criminals for the second time in a month.

Sue Ryder's charity shop at the Meadway Precinct suffered a break-in and lost more than £1,200 at the end of July.

The shop at The Triangle in Tilehurst was broken into between 5pm on August 14 and 9am on August 15.

A window on the premises was damaged and £450 in cash was stolen.

The incident follows a break-in that occurred at the nearby Sue Ryder shop in the Meadway Precinct during the final weekend of July.

While the Triangle shop was able to open as normal on Thursday morning, the charity is appealing for donations to help replenish funds lost from both incidents.

Jane Bullen, Sue Ryder retail area manager, said: “It is such a shame that in just a few weeks we have had two break-ins at Sue Ryder shops in Reading.

"Both shops have been supporting Sue Ryder’s care for so many years; it’s bad enough to break into a shop, but when it’s one that supports a cause close to the hearts of so many local people, it’s very saddening.

“The £450 stolen this time round, along with costs to repair the damage caused at the Triangle shop could have paid for more than 11 days of heating and lighting at Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice, and the £1,200 lost from our Meadway shop back in July could have paid for 12 visits from a Sue Ryder community nurse to families across Berkshire.

“And it’s not just Sue Ryder’s care that is affected, either – incidents like these are disheartening to all the volunteers who give up their time to help us, and all our generous donors and customers.

“We’d love some extra donations to help make up this shortfall. Good quality items of clothing, books and homewares would be very gladly received by our staff and volunteers at the shop on the Triangle, and the friendly team is also happy to chat about volunteering opportunities for those who are interested.’’

The money lost would have supported Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent in Reading, which cares for people living with conditions like cancer, heart failure and lung disease.

Visit www.sueryder.org if you can help.