Hospital collection stolen

A COLLECTION box of money raised by sick children at Worthing Hospital has been stolen by heartless thieves.

Children, staff and parents on Beach Ward spent Friday raising 26 towards national Jeans for Genes Day, which aims to raise money for youngsters with genetic disorders.

But on Saturday, the box was snatched from the ward's nurses station. Security is high on the ward and staff, patients, relatives and other visitors can get access only by ringing a bell at the entrance door and saying who they are over an intercom.

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Rebecca Spencer, whose three-year-old daughter Abigail has a genetic disorder and is a regular patient on the ward, has organised the collection for the past few years.

She said: "We are very disappointed. How can someone take a collection box from a children's ward?

"Raising money for children with genetic disorders really helped to boost the spirits of youngsters on the ward, so we have not told them what has happened yet. My daughter has the genetic disorder cystic fibrosis, so the cause is very close to my heart as well."

National Jeans for Genes day encourages people to wear denim and make a donation, so some of the children and staff on Beach Ward, along with the hospital's other paediatric wards, had spent the day in jeans and collecting money.

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The collection box was placed on the nurses station but it was taken from there at around 5pm on Saturday. Posters have now been put up on the ward, appealing to whoever took the money to return it.

Rebecca, 23, said: "The other paediatric wards, including Bramber, specialist baby unit and Children's Centre, managed to raise 48, but we are now 26 short of our total."

Pam Lelliott, a spokesperson for the hospital, said: "It is just very sad and disappointing money being raised for good causes has gone missing like this."