MONEY to give terminally-ill children a special Christmas will instead have to be spent on repairs after thieves went on the rampage.

Chorley's Derian House Children’s Hospice is counting the cost after burglars raided one of the charity’s fundraising shops.

And charity workers last night condemned the burglars who stole Christmas toys.

The thieves then caused thousands of pounds worth of damage when they went on a wrecking spree at the hospice store in Higher Market Street, Farnworth.

Susie Poppitt, fundraising manager for Derian House, said: “We are so reliant on donations and we need every penny we can get to provide the care that our families need.

"A considerable portion of this comes from our charity shops, so this is a setback, especially at this time of year when we try to make Christmas as special as we can for the children.

“Unfortunately, we will now have to spend this money on putting the damage right.”

The thieves ransacked the shop after breaking in through the roof.

They stole hundreds of pounds worth of toys, which the shop had been saving up for the Christmas period, as well as jewellery, clothing and a Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) unit, worth more than £1,000, which the shop needs to test electrical goods before they can go on sale.

The burglars also made a huge hole in the roof, smashed a display cabinet, pictures, mirrors and a window in the front door, damaged security shutters, and stole the key to the cash register, rendering it unusable.

The charity is still counting the cost of the break-in but said the final bill would run in to the thousands of pounds.

The shop is now appealing for the public’s help in tracing the PAT unit, which looks like a yellow briefcase, and any of the other stolen goods.

A police spokesman said: “This was a cruel and callous burglary at a children’s charity and we would appeal for anybody with any information to get in touch with us.

“The burglary happened sometime between 3pm on Saturday and 8.15am on Monday.

"The thieves broke in through the roof and ransacked the building, stealing jewellery and a number of other items.

“In addition to the thefts, the hospice will be faced with a repair bill of up to £2,000 for the damage caused by the offenders.”

The shop was re-opened on Tuesday.

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 0161 872 5050 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.