Homeless charity 'blown away' by burglary response

An outpouring of love for a homelessness charity following a burglary has seen its stolen stock quickly replaced.

A lock-up warehouse used by The Whitechapel Centre in Liverpool city centre was targeted at some point between 17:00 GMT on Friday and 08:15 on Monday.

Donated food, toiletries and clothing - earmarked for people living in poverty - were taken in the raid.

Chief executive Dave Carter said an "amazing" response from people in Liverpool meant the charity could distribute more than 900 special Christmas packages.

Mr Carter said volunteers had scrambled to replace stock.

He also said he was "blown away" by members of the public turning up with "bags of goodies".

"The response [during] the last 24 hours has just been amazing," Mr Carter added.

"It's from the smallest donation to the biggest donations, it doesn't matter.

"Liverpool does us proud, doesn't it?"

Burglars damaged shutters and "trashed the place", he said, when they broke into the Blackstock Street lock-up.

Ch Insp Charlotte Irlam, of Merseyside Police, said: "Business burglaries are not victimless crimes but for people to choose to target a warehouse which collects items for the city's homeless, and in particular just before Christmas, is particularly contemptible."

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