CASH was stolen from a charity collection box raising money for a mountain rescue team.

An opportunistic thief took the cash from a collection box at Vaughn’s Country Cafe in Tockholes, raising money for Bolton Mountain Rescue Team.

Cafe boss Vaughn Lomax said he believed £200 in cash had been taken from the box.

He said he regularly used change from the box when his till was running low, replacing it with notes.

But on Sunday, he found the box in the toilets with all the notes having been removed.

He said: “They obviously left the change as it would be too noisy for them to carry.

“We have supported Bolton Mountain Rescue Team for 10 years now.

“We get a lot of walkers and bikers around here and the rescuers are there to help them.

“I didn’t think it would need to be chained up as I never expected this to happen around here.”

Mr Vaughn said he had reported the incident to village PCSO Nick Gisicz.

Garry Rhodes, from the mountain rescue team, said he was devastated.

He said: “We have about 100 boxes out and some make more than others.

“But from the day he opened the cafe, Vaughn has been a fantastic supporter of the team.

“I know he often tops it up with his own money as well. Charity collection boxes are easy targets because of where they are.

“I feel sorry for Vaughn, really, because he is such a great supporter, and for his customers who have donated so generously.”

Mr Rhodes said the charity relied heavily on donations from the public.

He said: “Our annual running costs, not including new things we may want to buy, are in the region of £30,000 and we get about £3,000 from the government.

“Everything we have got we have to fundraise for. Public donations are our lifeblood really.”

Tockholes councillor Colin Rigby said: “It is absolutely appalling that someone would steal from a charity that does such valuable work in the area.

“You wonder about the morals of a person who does that.”