'They took everything' - Knottingley foodbank forced to close after thieves steal £500 of supplies

A foodbank has said it will have to close after thieves broke into a storage container and took more than £500 in supplies.

Knottingley Foodbank manager Janet Burns said eyewitnesses had first been alerted to the theft at around 6pm yesterday (Wednesday, March 18).

She said: "I got a phone call at home from one of the neighbours that overlooks our containers. She'd noticed there was a door open in one of the units.

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"Her husband went to investigate and bumped into someone who'd seen four men loading food up, so I phoned the police.

A foodbank has said it will have to close after thieves broke into a storage container and took more than 500 in supplies.A foodbank has said it will have to close after thieves broke into a storage container and took more than 500 in supplies.
A foodbank has said it will have to close after thieves broke into a storage container and took more than 500 in supplies.

"They took everything. We'd had a massive donation of toiletries and female products on Tuesday.

"Our stocks are so depleted now that we can't carry on. We've been so busy this afternoon, we've had people queuing at the door and we're just having to turn them away."

Janet estimates that the total value of stolen products was in excess of £500 and says the foodbank has now been left with no option but to close to all but "dire emergencies".

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Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford MP Yvette Cooper has called on the community to do their bit to support the foodbank as they recover from the theft.

She has contacted local supermarkets to ask them to lift their purchase limits to allow the foodbank to restock.

She said: "It is truly appalling that someone could do this - at a time when families need help more than ever - with children not going to school and many people unable to work. This is a time when we should be pulling together and helping each other.

"If someone has done this in order to make profit from other people’s desperation that is a shocking and shameful crime.

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“Now we urgently need to support the foodbank to replace the products they lost to ensure that those who need them won’t be left without. I have been in touch with Morrisons who are ready to help, and I’ve reached out to other local supermarkets to see if foodbanks can be exempt from the restrictions on bulk buying to make sure they can replenish their stock, and it looks like the supermarkets are happy to help.

"But the foodbank will need donations in order to get through this – so if you are able to donate money, food items or toiletries, you can find the details on how to do so here: https://knottingley.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/.

“At this hugely difficult and disruptive time for our country, we need to pull together and support each other more than ever. Thank you to everyone who is helping our community to get through this by supporting friends, neighbours and all of our local foodbanks. We will get through this if we work together.”

Anyone with any information on the theft is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police via their livechat facility, quoting reference 13200141311.

Information can also be given anonymously to charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.