Charity collection box stolen in Dorchester (From Thisisdorset)

Charity collection box stolen in Dorchester

5:40pm Tuesday 19th March 2013 in Latest

A CAFE owner is appealing for help to outfox a thief who stole a popular charity tin from Dorchester town centre.

Basil Brush, a free-standing collection box, which sat outside The Horse with the Red Umbrella cafe in High West Street, has gone missing.

It is believed that around £30 in charitable donations to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) was inside the familiar fixture.

John Fiori, owner of the cafe, said: “It's very disappointing.

“It's a shame- these things seem to be happening more and more nowadays.

“There wasn't a lot of money in there, but it's for charity.

“People put in what they can.”

Mr Fiori added that he had been told Basil was seen outside Lloyds TSB in High West Street on Saturday evening and urged anyone with information to come forward.

He said: “It's like an icon. It looks a bit bare out the front now.

“There wasn't a lot of money in there, but it's for charity.

“People often drop a bit of change in there and children like it.

“We want Basil back.”

Basil Brush is a popular fictional character who has appeared on children's television since the 1960s and is known for the catchphrase 'haha! Boom Boom!' when he finds something funny.

But there is nothing funny about his theft from Dorchester, said the RNIB, which loses around £8,000 from stolen collection pots each year.

It urged would-be thieves to think about the impact they are having on charities.

Scott Jobson, fundraising manager, said: "Sadly it's an indication of the times we're living in.

“As a charity a percentage of our collection boxes will, and do, get stolen.

“We estimate that we lose around £8,000 per year.

“We do offer chains to make them secure but sometimes this isn't enough.

“We are also noticing that shops are becoming reluctant to have collection boxes on display due to these thefts so it's a double loss to our fundraising income.

“What people who steal these collection boxes don't realise or forget is that it impacts on blind and partially sighted people's lives.

“With more local services being cut, more blind and partially sighted people are coming to us so our need for funds is increasing.

“For example, it costs £4,000 to record an RNIB Talking Book which can be a lifeline to people with sight loss and these are directly funded through charity box donations."

A Dorset Police spokesman said the free-standing collection box was taken sometime between Saturday at 4.30pm and 9.15am on Monday morning.

Anyone with information is urged to call the police on 101, quoting incident reference number 18:82