THE MANAGER of a non-profit organisation in Caia Park has hit out at thieves who walked into her store and helped themselves to several items of furniture.

New 2 You: Wrexham Reuse Centre, based at Unit 10 in Whitegate Industrial Estate, provides low-cost recycled and second hand furniture as well as household goods primarily to those on low incomes.

On Thursday the shop posted an appeal on its Facebook page calling for the return of numerous items of stolen stock – which was shared by hundreds of people.

Daphne Roberts, development manager for the charity, told the Leader that at 3pm on Saturday, May 6, two people entered the shop and picked up a sun lounger as well as garden chairs before putting them in their car and driving away without paying.

She said a further theft on Thursday saw the loss of a wicker sofa and the shop also had a pair of vintage binoculars stolen the previous week, adding: “It is a continuing spate of thefts, relatively petty, but theft is theft.

“The binoculars were vintage and to us they were worth £20 or so but now all we have is an empty case which isn’t worth anything.

“We have DVDs and CDs and we're constantly finding empty cases. They can buy five dvds for £3, which is nothing for DVDs, but they still steal them. 

“It is the sheer audacity of it. They're stealing from their own community.

“We do have cameras but we can’t have people just sitting watching the cameras all day. 

“It’s just a tiresome problem and speaking to lots of charity shops in town it is happening everywhere. 

“It’s pathetic really.

“Some things people may be stealing for themselves but the bigger things they are probably stealing them to sell on.”

Ms Roberts added that the thefts have not yet been reported to the police, but she appealed directly to the thieves to return the stolen items.

She said: “I put it on our Facebook and I can’t believe the coverage it has got. It has just gone mad.

“It is disappointing people feel the need to steal when the things are so cheap.

“We were selling the plastic chairs for two pound each: just bring them back.”

The shop, which is currently  appealing for more volunteers,  also redistributes donated stock to other Wrexham charity shops.