HEARTLESS burglars ransacked a charity shop, which was due to hold a grand opening tomorrow following a refurbishment.

The South Bucks Hospice shop in Park Parade, Hazlemere was closed for three weeks in June to under go a new refit, with a huge amount of work put in by staff and volunteers.

So it was disheartening to discover this morning that burglars had broken into the shop overnight and wrecked it, while stealing £400 and gold jewellery from the safe.

It is not yet known if anything else was taken from the shop which raises money to support its free service for cancer sufferers.

Chief executive Jo Woolf said: "One of the saddest things is that if the person/people were local, they have stolen from a hospice that would have provided free care for them, their family or friends if they needed it in the future.

"A huge amount of work by staff and volunteers had gone into getting the shop ready for the grand reopening and it’s such a shame that we won’t get to share this with our supporters at the event."

The shop will be open tomorrow but the grand reopening of the shop been postponed to August 16 to allow for time to repair damage.

South Bucks Hospice is appealing for anyone who has information to contact the police on 101 or on Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

The charity has been established for nearly 30 years and provides palliative care and a lymphoedema clinic for cancer sufferers.

For more information visit www.sbh.org.uk