Outrage as another Wiltshire charity shop raided by thieves

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A charity has been left in disbelief, as another of its shops is burgled leaving the doors and window smashed.

Mercy in Action charity shop and Alfred's clothing store, both on Silver Street in Bradford on Avon, were the two latest shops to be targeted by burglars in Wiltshire.

The break-in, which took place on the evening of Saturday, April 11, 2026, saw both stores damaged as the criminals made off with cash and a bank card from Alfred's.

Now, speaking to the Wiltshire Times, Mercy in Action's retail coordinator says she is in "disbelief" at the repeated burglaries on charity shops in the area.

Mercy in Action charity shop was once of the two stores targeted (Image: Mercy in Action)

Mercy in Action charity shop was once of the two stores targeted (Image: Mercy in Action)

Gemma, who is coordinator for the charity, said: "There's been a lot of reports of thieves recently and this isn't the first Mercy In Action that has been broken into.

"Luckily they didn't take anything, but it's just frustrating because we couldn't open straight away and we had to find someone to fix the door and the lock.

"Customers were just in disbelief. This happens all the time and I don't understand why anyone would burgle anywhere, let alone a charity shop. It feels like people just don't care that.

"It's just a shame that it happened, but Bradford on Avon is such a lovely community and everyone rallied around."

Damage to Mercy in Action charity shopThe shop was forced to temporarily close due to the damage (Image: Mercy in Action)

Mercy in Action runs 38 charity shops across the South West, including places such as Bath, Bristol and Oxford.

Photos of the Bradford on Avon store show the damage caused by this latest burglary, with wood on the door frame torn and the front window left smashed.

Wiltshire Police is now investigating the double break-in and is urging anyone who might have witnessed this crime to get in touch.

A spokesperson for the police force said: "We would like to hear from anyone who may have seen someone acting suspiciously in Silver Street, Bradford on Avon on the evening of 11 April - following the burglary of two nearby shops.

"The Mercy in Action charity shop and Alfred’s clothing store were broken into, with offenders making off with cash and a bank card.

"Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Pardoe by emailing 70576@wiltshire.police.uk.

"You can also leave information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555111."

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