Two people appear in court following theft of charity tins - including Poppy Appeal collection box
Two people have appeared in court after they were charged with thefts relating to charity collection boxes - including one for the Poppy Appeal.
Cleveland Police said it had arrested a man and a woman, who were both 36, following a spate of thefts of charity boxes from around Redcar.
The force said it was reported that on November 14, a man had stolen two animal charity collection boxes from a vets on Wilmore Road.
Three days later, a chemist on Coatham Road also reported the theft of a British Legion poppy collection box by a man and the same day, bags of donated Christmas gifts for children were taken by a man and woman from Gabrielle’s on The Esplanade.
The following day a shop on Station Road in the town reported that chocolates had been stolen by a man and woman.
The force tracked a couple down to the Stockton area where they were arrested and questioned in relation to all of the reports.
The man was subsequently charged with four counts of theft which included the charity boxes from the vets and chemist and the donated toys, and the woman was charged and remanded in connection with two thefts, including the children’s charity donation.
They remained in police custody overnight and appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Nov 25).