Damage caused to a window at the Church Street premises

A charity helping the disabled live independently in Preston has been broken into.

Disability Equality in Church Street arrived back to get started in January to find smashed glass littering their offices and centre.

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Melanie Close, chief executive, said it was a ‘real smack in the teeth’ for the charity.

On the morning of Monday 28 December a window at the back of the offices was smashed with a plant pot.

The thieves made their way into the building and took around £50 of petty cash and 12 packs of Jellybabies.

Melanie said: “We’re working so hard at the moment and it’s not so much what they’ve taken but the damage caused.

“We’ll have to pay the excess on the insurance for the window.

“The worst part is they’ve come in and they’ve stamped the induction loop to bits. This is a vital piece of kit for us and they’ve obviously thought it was an alarm or something. That’ll be £500 to replace.

“It looks like they had a crowbar with them as well. The draws to the filing cabinet are all busted so we need two new filing cabinets too.

“If anyone has seen some rather small and no doubt diabetic thieves around then let me know!”

Preston Police have sent forensic officers to the scene and taken swabs to try and trace those responsible.

Melanie said: “At a time of government cutbacks we’re really stretched and providing a lot of support.

“We’ve now got to spend that money on getting the offices repaired, instead of being able to help people who need it.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the police on 101 quoting log number LC-20151228-0213

You can also donate to Disability Equality North West via their Justgiving page, any money raised will go towards funding the insurance excess to get the window fixed and equipment replaced.