SICK babies and poverty-stricken families will suffer after a burglary in Radcliffe.

Thieves ransacked a storage caravan filled with clothes, toys and medical equipment destined for the needy of Eastern Europe and Africa.

The caravan belongs to Melanie Price (50), the director and founder of The Sunflower Trust charity.

She said: "I feel very angry and wounded. They have stolen from poor people. Is nothing sacred?"

The burglary occurred between 8.30pm last Thursday (Sept 25) and the following morning. The thieves broke into the caravan on the drive of Mrs Price's home in Stopes Road.

"They took suitcases full of baby clothes, medical packs, toys and handmade bags which the Africans and Eastern Europeans sell to raise money," explained Mrs Price.

She said: "Everything had been donated by local people and what was stolen was worth at least £800. It would nothave been so bad if they had broken into my house and taken my television, but this is stealing from the poor!"

Mrs Price set up the Sunflower Trust six years ago and since then she has made around 50 visits to the Romanian/Hungarian border area and Africa, taking valuable supplies to help the desperate communities.