A CHARITY which supports vulnerable people in Worcestershire has been burgled for the third time in less than a year.

Karen Martin, who runs Inspire Support Services, says she is "devastated" after cash and goods were stolen from the Courtyard Eatery, a community café based at the Winyates Craft Centre in Redditch.

The door to the café was smashed, with money and several bottles of wine were stolen from the kitchen, which the charity uses for fundraising events.

CCTV footage has been shared of the moment an unknown person entered the kitchen, before removing cash tins and filling a bag with wine bottles on Sunday night (August 25). There was also a break-in a week before the incident and another in November last year. 

The charity offers a range of community services to people in Redditch, Bromsgrove, Droitwich and the wider Worcestershire area, including poverty support, domestic abuse support, crisis intervention, craft courses, wellbeing and holistic activities, family activities, food bank and baby bank.

Ms Martin, aged 54, who lives in Bromsgrove, said: "It's disheartening, especially when we work hard.

"One of our volunteers was absolutely distraught over it. Irene was actually saying 'I just feel devastated.'

"It's not a nice situation.

"It won't stop us doing the work that we do because there's some really lost people out there".

A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: "We were called at 11.15pm on Sunday 25 August following a report of a burglary at Winyates Craft Centre in Redditch.

"Officers attended within minutes and a thorough search of the area was carried out, but no suspects were found.

"Enquiries, including reviewing CCTV footage, are ongoing.

"Officers have conducted reassurance visits since the burglary and got in touch with a community partner agency to request a security assessment".