A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to raise money for two charities after their shops in south Bucks were burgled over the New Year weekend.

Jane Roberts started the campaign to help boost funds for the South Bucks Hospice shop in Hazlemere and Rennie Grove Hospice Care’s shop in Holmer Green.

It comes after callous thieves broke into both shops in separate incidents over the same weekend, making off with thousands of pounds in total.

Police believe the South Bucks Hospice burglary took place between 2.20pm on New Year's Eve, after the shop in Park Parade had closed, and Tuesday.

Thieves made off with a safe which the charity said contained hundreds of pounds.

Five doors were also damaged in the break-in, which charity bosses say will cost around £2,000 to fix.

The hospice’s chief executive officer, Jo Woolf, said: “Our charity shop is designed to raise money to offer hope, care, support and help to people in their darkest hours, so it defies my imagination and is really disheartening that somebody could want to steal money from it.”

In another incident, staff and volunteers at Rennie Grove Hospice Care’s shop in Pond Approach were shocked when they arrived to open the shop on Tuesday to find their safe missing, which they say contained around £1,300.

They believe thieves targeted the shop between its closing at 1pm on New Year’s Eve and Tuesday morning.

Deborah Gould, director of retail and trading at Rennie Grove, said: “Robberies are always a horrible thing but it is particularly low to steal from a charity shop.”

Jane is hoping to raise £500 to be divided between the two shops. To donate, go to https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/hospicecharityshopsrecoveryfund.