A CHARITY donation box was stolen from the counter of the BP garage in Longbridge Deverill Service Station.

The box, which was collecting money for local charity Louie’s Smiles and was nearly at full capacity, was stolen at around 9.50am on Wednesday, October 26 to the disgust of shop manager Sue Gray.

She said: “It makes me so angry that things like this happen, how can people stoop so low?

“That money was for a brilliant charity which puts smiles on the faces of sick children, but that clearly didn’t bother whoever stole it.

“Something like this has never happened before so I didn’t feel the need to secure the box to the counter, but I will do now.”

Chitterne-based Louie's Smiles was set up by the family of Louie Coldwell, who died in 2012 at the age of 10 after losing a battle with a rare form of cancer.

Co-founder of the charity, Joanne Lloyd, said: "We are disappointed that this has happened and await further information from the police before commenting further."