Moment pair were caught fishing money out of a fountain used to raise money for terminally-ill children
Not caring who sees them, two thieves brazenly steal from a ‘wishing well’ that raises money to help dying children.
The pair were caught on camera as they helped themselves to the charity cash from a town centre fountain in the middle of the afternoon.
The men, one wearing a camouflage jacket and the other a baseball cap, leant over the edge of the fountain and used long sticks to drag the coins towards them, then reached into the water to fish them out.
Dreadful: One man was spotted using a stick to rake up money while the other suspect appears to have coins inside his hand after plunging his arm inBrazen: Despite being photographed in broad daylight both men were happy to be shown pocketing cash from the fountain
Witnesses said the two continued to trawl the foot-deep water despite efforts from members of the public to intervene.
Sharon Bevis, 33, used her mobile phone to take photographs of the pair after she spotted them in Redditch, Worcestershire, at about 4pm on Monday.
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Mrs Bevis, a mother of six, said: ‘They were taking the money out for bus fare and beer money and they were just not bothered at all when I told them they were bang out of order for doing it.
‘They were drunk and didn’t seem to care that there were lots of people around and even children watching.
Spotted: One of the shameless thieves looks up to see they are being photographed but they continued regardless'I told them what they were doing was appalling and that the money goes to children’s charities but they didn’t listen.
‘You can see their clothes were clean and new so they didn’t look like they needed the money.’
The fountain in the centre of the town is cleaned once a year and all money collected is donated to Acorns Children’s Hospice.
Local traders were left outraged yesterday. Butcher Pat McGrath, 50, said: ‘These two men are nothing but scum. Do they not realise they are essentially robbing seriously ill children?
Probe The Grade II listed fountain in Church Green West, Redditich, and police said today they are investigatingAnd they told people it was for booze too – that’s the saddest part of it all.’
Cafe owner Julie Bradbury, 30, said: ‘It’s like stealing people’s wishes. I hope this doesn’t put people off donating to charity by throwing coins in there.’
Redditch councillor Debbie Taylor said: ‘It’s clearly not on. For years, the bits of loose change that get swept up in the town, including when the fountain gets cleared out, have been gathered up, cleaned, and donated to charity.’
Carole Crowe, fundraising manager for Acorns, said: ‘It’s very disappointing to hear of this. We rely on fundraising and voluntary donations for the majority of our income.’
West Mercia Police said they were investigating the incident. ‘We are trying to identify the two men pictured,’ a spokesman said.