Thief steals Poppy Appeal cash (From Wiltshire Times)

Thief steals Poppy Appeal cash

3:40pm Tuesday 13th November 2007 in Melksham By Charley Morgan

A CALLOUS thief tricked a shop owner into turning her back while he stole her Poppy Appeal collection box last week.

The man walked into Polly's Parlour in King Street, Melksham, last Friday and asked to see a watch for sale in the window.

But while shopkeeper Pauline Jacomb was looking for it he stole the box from the top of the counter, cutting it free from the sticky tape and string it was secured with.

Mrs Jacomb, who decorates a window at her shop for the Poppy Appeal each year, said: "How could anyone do that, especially to a shop with a poppy window?

"He was in the shop for about 35 minutes.

"He came towards the desk and I heard a thump, but I thought he'd knocked something onto the front of the counter.

"When I turned to come back to the desk he'd gone - then I realised he could have stolen something."

The thief swapped the Poppy Appeal box with an empty one from another shop.

Mrs Jacomb estimates that the collection box had about £20 in it and she is going to replace the money that was stolen herself.

She added: "I'm very distressed about it, very upset.

"I always donate a window to the Poppy Appeal for the Melksham Royal British Legion. I feel very, very ashamed - I should have chained it to the counter instead."