Vandal attack at Rugeley charity shop leaves staff ‘terrified'

Susan Shaw returned to work at Debra Charity Shop in Brook Square, Rugeley, after the bank holiday weekend to discover the damage and has felt unsafe ever since.

Nothing was stolen but she has since boarded up the front of the shop, which will cost thousands of pounds to repair, and she believes customers are avoiding shopping there due to the damage.

The 53-year-old assistant manager, from Rugeley, said: "I found out about what happened because someone let me know the one door was cracked. I did not see it was the window and the door until I came back in the morning after the bank holiday.

"I was scared because I thought they might still be in the shop.

"I am terrified to come into work each day because I never know what I will find.

"We always have trouble with drunks and druggies in this area but this has got to be the worst incident.

"At the moment we do not have a price for how much it is going to cost because we are waiting for the insurance people to get back to us but it will cost at least a few thousand pounds to repair."

"All of my customers are very upset but they are also very supportive.

"Nothing was stolen thank God. We are here to support charity. Why would someone do this? I hope they catch and punish them.

"I have boarded it up but it looks awful. Customers were heading towards the shop to try and donate but when they saw the state of it with all the cracks in the window, they turned away."

The shop raises money for medical research into the condition Epidermolysis Bullosa.

Councillor Anne Allt said: "It is not nice breaking into a charity shop. These shops needs people to go to to them to help people and this kind of vandalism will deter them.

"It is a one off for the area as far as I can tell. I urge people to report any problems they have to the police and it would be a good idea to set up a watch group between the shops.

"That way they can report suspicious activity to one another."