A charity collection box has been stolen from the ManxSPCA charity shop on Parliament Street in Ramsey.

The theft is thought to have happened between the afternoon of Friday, November 8, and the morning of Saturday, November 9.

Volunteers estimate that the stolen container held around £40 in donated coins.

The Northern Neighbourhood Policing Team has now launched a probe into the incident and is asking anyone with information to get in touch.

The Manx Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or MSPCA, is an animal charity which takes in, on average, around 1600 creatures each year.

Staff and volunteers care for these lost, abandoned or injured animals, restore them to health, bring back their confidence and rehabilitate them

This theft comes on the heels of another charity box stolen last week.

The Whistleshop Cafe at Port Erin Train Station, which had placed two collection boxes for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal in the lead-up to Remembrance Sunday, reported that one of the boxes was taken on Thursday afternoon.

The thief cut the securing string to remove the box, which had been placed in the station’s waiting room.

The café took to social media to express their disappointment over the theft, particularly given the meaningful time of year.

In their post, they reminded the public that their ‘Pay It Forward’ initiative would have provided food or drink to anyone in need.

Following the incident, the cafe received an outpouring of support from the local community, with many customers dropping by to make additional donations to the Poppy Appeal. Others pledged to contribute directly to the Royal British Legion.

In a follow-up post over the weekend, the cafe thanked everyone who had reached out with kind messages or donations, adding that ‘out of a pretty rubbish situation comes something positive’.

Police are reviewing CCTV footage from the station’s cafe in an attempt to identify the individual responsible for the theft.

* Anyone with any information about the theft from the ManxSPCA shop is urged to police at 812234 or by emailing [email protected], quoting investigation number 97/6996/24.