UK charity All Aboard has recorded a £10,000 loss after being victim to a spate of seven break-ins across its charity shops since March 2018.
The charity said it has lost over £10,000, had to repair shop fronts numerous times and has lost a significant number of donated items as a result of the attacks.
“It’s extremely distressing for our staff and volunteers to regularly experience these attacks,” All Aboard CEO Alan Haynes said. “Charity shops are often seen as a soft target because they don’t usually have burglar alarms or only minimal security measures.”
Burglars continued to target the shops despite the recent addition of CCTV systems in some of the stores, causing concerns about the welfare of staff and volunteers.
All Aboard has had to divert funds raised by the shops and ear-marked for shop development to pay for the damage and repairs.
“Experiencing a burglary is incredibly upsetting and more so when it happens more than once,” Verisure operations director, Horacio Perez said.
The charity has now fitted ‘smart alarms’ through provider Verisure to deter intruders from entering the premises. The technology provider said the aim is to ensure All Aboard is no longer seen as a “soft target”.
