Cash raised for cancer nurses stolen in raid

A CANCER survivor who has raised more than £75,000 for charity was left heartbroken after thieves ransacked his home as he and his family slept.

More than £1,000 of Craig Palmer’s belongings were taken as well as £100 he had just raised for MacMillan Cancer Support. Mr Palmer, of Grange View, Hemsworth, had collected the cash at a charity concert in Doncaster on Sunday night. But when he woke on Monday morning he found the money had gone. Mr Palmer, his partner Wendy Biglan and daughter, Lycia, 10, were all asleep upstairs when thieves entered through a kitchen window, which had been left open. An iPad, an iPod, and a Blackberry mobile phone belonging to Lycia were also taken.

Mr Palmer, who was recently given the all clear from bowel cancer, said: “It makes your blood boil. We were just getting back to reality after everything that has happened. We had worked so hard for all this stuff and then somebody just comes in and takes it all.”

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He had been performing at a concert for MacMillan Cancer Support on Sunday night as part of a duo called The P45s – the latest drive in 17 years of fundraising for MacMillan and The Meningitis Trust.

He said: “It annoys me so much because not only have they taken my daughters stuff, they have taken the MacMillan money, too. MacMillan are amazing. They were so supportive of me and I just want to give them something back.”

The burglary was one of three in Hemsworth over the weekend and police are increasing patrols in the area.

Insp Geoff Carter said: “In two of the burglaries entry was gained through insecure windows and I would like to reiterate the message to close and lock your windows.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101.