5:30am Wednesday 21st March 2007
By Melanie Adams
CRIMINALS have targeted a Hampshire animal charity while staff were out trying to raise money for the shelter.
Georgina Russell, was left stunned and outraged when she came back to find that her Blue Cross van, which was clearly marked, had had its window smashed in and her handbag stolen.
Now Georgina and all the staff at the Blue Cross headquarters in West End, want to catch the heartless thieves that stooped so low as to steal from an animal charity.
Georgina, who works part-time for the Blue Cross, parked her car in the busy High Street in West End at 10.45am, before visiting local businesses, handing out leaflets advertising the charity's bric-a-brac sale.
When she arrived back to the van 45 minutes later, she was shocked to find that the passenger window had been smashed and glass everywhere.
Thieves had stolen her handbag that contained her mobile phone and cash, which she had hidden under a blanket, as well as the satnav holder and cable.
Georgina, of Grange Park, said: "I am just so livid.
"Whoever did this are just low life's, stooping to the lowest of the low.
"To break into any car is low but to break into a van that is clearly marked for an animal charity is absolutely despicable.
"I am still quite tearful about the whole break-in, I love the charity and would do anything for them and I just cannot believe somebody would do this.
"I am just stunned, while I was out trying to raise money for the charity's bric-a-brac sale, somebody was out there smashing in the window of an animal charity van. I am fuming.
"Someone must have seen something because it happened in broad daylight in a busy shopping area."
This incident comes as Hampshire Police begins their trap car campaign across Eastleigh, in a bid to make car criminals think twice before breaking into a vehicle.
A Hampshire Police spokesman said: "The message we send out to the public is to not leave anything of value in a vehicle because even if you think it is hidden, car criminals know where to look.
"Criminals do not care who the vehicle belongs to, they have no compassion or respect for that."
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