Thieves who targeted a Cardiff charity shop have been caught on CCTV forcing open a storage container and stealing over £2,000 worth of stock.
CCTV footage captures three men breaking into the container behind Cancer Research's Cardiff superstore, on Newport Road, last week.
The thieves made off with over £2,000 worth of stock as well as causing irreparable damage to the container.
Staff only noticed the crime during routine checks the following day.
Store Manager, Adam Carsley, said: "We didn't notice at first. It was only when we were doing the end of day checks the following day did we realise what had happened.
"A member of staff went to check the container and the latch just fell off in her hand.
“After the thieves got what they wanted, they managed to place the latch back on to make it look as though nothing had happened.
"Once we realised, we had to use metal crates to wedge the container shut until we moved all of the stock."
“It’s a nightmare, staff are now having to work in a really confined space as we’ve had to move anything that was left in the container into the store.”
Fortunately, valuable items and donations to the charity had been moved into the building itself and so the thieves only made off with ‘bought-in’ stock.
"They only had access to the stock Cancer Research actually buys in, mainly little gifts and trinkets - it's usually things like our Stand Up To Cancer range or things like trays or mugs, little things like that.
"The items are only worth between £3.99 to £12.99 but they managed to take boxes and boxes of stuff.
“I wouldn't be surprised if they start selling them on for a couple of pounds cheaper.”
The charity is not only feeling the monetary loss of the items but also the expense of a new container and upped security, said Mr Carsley.
"We're so lucky they didn't have access to the shop itself, it would've been so much worse. We've had to request a new container which is obviously a massive loss to the charity.”
Adam, who has worked with Cancer Research for eight years, believes charities are increasingly being targeted by thieves.
He said: "We have had shoplifters over the years but nothing like this. I think thieves think the charities are a bit easier than the big retailers."
A spokeswoman for South Wales Police said: "We received a report of a burglary at the Cancer Research store on Newport Road, on Friday, September 18.
"Unknown persons gained entry to a container to the rear of the store and removed a number of items, they also attempted to enter the store.
"Anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity, or who has any information about the incident, is asked to contact 101, quoting occurrence 344851."
