ONCE again we have had unwanted visitors to our Albert Road charity shop - this time via a smashed front-door window - for the 6th time in the last twelve months.

The perpetrators of the crime did manage to get away with a broken tape recorder and they damaged a main switch. They did little damage, but caused us a great deal of inconvenience and expense.

We have estimated that this incident will cost the charity the equivalent of holidays for at least six children at our Sunshine Camp near Odessa's Black Sea coast, probably the first holiday these children would have had (and for some their only holiday ever). Most of these children are from orphanages and some are terminally ill. Maybe the persons who did this damage should think about this!

If these vandals do happen to read this article, I hope they will consider the results of what they have done. If they want to rob our premises again, it would be far better for them to ask us to let them in rather than take the trouble to break in and damage our property. By the way, I just hope the cut finger sustained by one burglar is healing up. He might like to know that the police took away a blood sample for DNA tracing.

If the people responsible for the damage would care to make a contribution to help the children and pay for the damage, the appropriate figure would be around £300 (three hundred pounds).

Bill Rushworth Local co-ordinator

International Aid Trust Morecambe