Burglars urinate in church during third Woolwich charity raid

3:59pm Thursday 13th November 2008

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BURGLARS have targeted a church-based learning disability charity three times in three weeks, and urinated on the floor.

The criminals were not content with smashing the church's 150-year-old windows and stealing seven computers which were paid-for by generous donations.

Instead they added insult to injury by urinating over the church's training room floor before leaving the scene.

Working With Words is a charity which helps develop the social skills of people with learning difficulties, and trains them how to use computers in St Mary Magdalene Church, Greenlaw Street, Woolwich.

For 10 years it has been providing an invaluable service to more than 140 people who struggle to learn, read and write, and who find it hard to interact with society.

But the charity has been crippled by three overnight raids on the church - one on October 17, another on October 26, and a third between the night of November 4 and the morning of November 6.

Charity manager Kathy Smith was left devastated after arriving at work on three occasions to find windows smashed, computers missing and, after the final raid, the stench of urine.

She said: "At first I compared them to animals. But then I decided I was insulting animals as they would not be this disrespectful.

"I don't cry usually - but when I saw the mess they made, I shed a few tears. These thieves have no shame. They have stolen time and time again from our organisation, targetting us because it was easy.

"We were set up to help the most vulnerable in our society, to give them a head start in making their way in the world, and these burglars have sought to ruin these opportunities."

Ms Smith added: "We are going to struggle to keep providing a service. Somewhere out there are people who are no better than cowards selling our equipment. It is a horrible time for us."

A spokesman for Greenwich police, said: "Officers are currently investigating the burglaries that took place at St Mary Magdalene Church.

"We can confirm that one suspect linked to the first burglary has been arrested by another police force and is currently is custody."

Anyone with information on any of the burglaries should call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Working With Words has been unable to operate since its computers, worth £4,500, were stolen.

If you would like to help the charity get back on its feet, please call Kathy on 020 8855 6644.

For more information on the charity, visit workingwithwords.org