Thieves raid Air Ambulance shop for eighth time

Volunteers arrived at the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance shop on Market View this morning to find a window had been smashed with a brick.

Sally Thomas, head of retail said the raid is the eighth time the shop has been broken into in recent years.

It is the second time within three months and thieves also tried to break in over the weekend but were unsuccessful.

She said raiders smashed through the window and had a ‘root around’ upstairs and pulled a few drawers and cupboards out.

Sally said: “It’s very demotivating for staff and volunteers. They put a lot of hard work into keeping the shop running as it does.

“We are all doing hard work for a really valuable local charity.

“It feels like there are people out here determined to put a stop to what we are doing

“Customers have been very supportive and the volunteers have been brilliant.

“They came in and cleared up so we were able to open up again.”

Volunteer Jane Phillips said: “When I came in this morning found it like this. It had already been reported.

“I just hope the people that did this never need an air ambulance they fly out at least three times a day - it is a much needed service for saving lives.”

All of the money raised by the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance goes towards funding the more than £2m annual costs of keeping its helicopter flying.

The air ambulance is a dedicated helicopter emergency medical service which serves Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, treating seriously injured people and transporting them to hospital in a fraction of the time it takes by road.