A Lewisham charity shop was burgled by heartless thieves after tweeting about their successful fundraising.

Cancer Research UK, in Lewisham High Street, was celebrating a bumper take for World Cancer Day last Thursday (February 4), which was boosted by staff members standing for hours in the cold with collection buckets.

Sharing their success with the world, staff tweeted photos of bundles of cash and change, thanking those who donated raising around £1,500.

But it seems a sticky fingered crook also spotted the post, as the store was broken into over the weekend.

Assistant manager Hayley Thorpe told News Shopper a colleague came in to find the back door had been forced open.

The burglar had prised open the door, and set about looking for the cash.

Ms Thorpe, 31, said: “We came in as normal, went upstairs.

MORE TOP STORIES “The back door had been broken, and we’ve got a door inbetween the shop floor and the back, it’s got a code to go through, they must have used something to prise open the door.

“They tried to break in to one of our lockers, that was pulled forward and battered, bags that had been near were thrown all over the floor.

“They came upstairs to our office which we don’t have much in, we have an old safe in there, they tried the door.

“We think they used a crowbar, they prised open the door.”

But luckily the team had banked the haul just the morning before, and had removed all the overnight takings from the till, which amounted to around £800.

Stashing their takings in the store safe, the dozy criminal did not spot it, breaking open another one instead.

Ms Thorpe continued: “They didn’t find the real safe.

“We had some extra donations in a tin, that was the only thing that was really taken, and the till didn’t have any money.

“It seems a bit funny that only certain things were targeted; the old safe, the locker. Obviously they tried to look for money.

News Shopper:

“It would have been heart-breaking if they’d taken what we raised. We were so happy.

“We spent hours outside so to have spent all that time would have been heart-breaking.

“It's sickened us to think someone could do this to a charity.

“It’s not just the charity its’ the people who give for whatever reason, all their stories.”

Despite not losing any stock they lost out on three days trade, worth around £2,000, as they had to wait for police and to have the door fixed.

But as a parting gift, on their way out scandalous burglar ripped out their CCTV equipment.

News Shopper:

Jude, Hayley Thorpe, Carole Quinn.

Ms Thorpe fumed: “There was a monitor attached to the CCTV, they took that trying to cover their tracks. “They took everything connected to the monitor, the cables. We use that for our gift aid certificates.”

She is appealing for anyone who saw anything to come forward, adding: “We’re a charity that are next door to a betting shop and a 3 store.

“Who would think out of those we would have as much as them? 3 mobile would have had phones. Maybe it was because they thought we had less security.”

A spokesman for the Met said confirmed they were looking into the burglary, and no one had been arrested. Enquiries continue.