A BREAK-IN at a charity shop in the same weekend it celebrated its 25th anniversary will cost more than £1,000.

Substantial damage was caused to the Emmaus Colchester warehouse, in Arthur Street, when it was burgled between Saturday at 5pm and Monday at 9am.

Keith Henrick, who has been general manager for eight years, called police once he arrived at work on Monday and found the damage.

The raiders had accessed the roof, which contains asbestos, from the Vineyard Street car park and used an 8-inch pipe to break through the side of the wall.

The guttering pipe was also recklessly left inside the building, soaking an office wall and carpets.

Before using the rear fire escape to leave the warehouse, the vandals left behind a pair of jogging bottoms and trainers.

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Mr Henrick said: “We’ll have to wait until the office dries out before painting and with the mess it’s just not a pleasant environment to work in.

“It appears no donated items have been stolen, but the cost of the clean-up and repairs will be in excess of £1,000.

“There is asbestos everywhere, which is a health and safety hazard, but whoever did this is very lucky they didn’t fall through the roof as it’s at least a 35-foot drop.

“It was about a year ago when we were broken in through a fire door and they stole our cash safe, but fortunately there was nothing in it.

“However, it cost us to get a metal grill fitted on to the door and one of our windows were broken.”

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The incident has put a dampener on the charity’s 25th birthday, which was marked two days before with a cake sale at the High Street shop.

Only £20 was raised from the sale, which suffered because of the poor weather.

However, on a positive note, the day’s takings, which were donated to raise money for overseas humanitarian projects, amounted to £850.

Mr Henrick is urging shoppers to help pull this back by donating and buying items from the shop, which also has an online Ebay store.

He added: “The cake sale didn’t go as we’d hoped, but 25 years is an important milestone in the continued growth of Emmaus.

“In the eight years the shop’s been open, we’ve helped more than 300 people regain their confidence and go forward with their lives.

“The money we raise from selling donated items supports people suffering from hardship and homelessness, so the cost of these repairs deprives us of helping those in need.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Essex Police on 101.

To support Emmaus, visit emmaus.org.uk/colchester.