VIDEO: Thieves snatch charity money intended for African poor

Sussex Police has released CCTV footage after a church minister had £7,500 worth of US dollars stolen from her bag in a supermarket.
Police are looking to speak with two women over the theft of £7,500 SUS-170220-161102001Police are looking to speak with two women over the theft of £7,500 SUS-170220-161102001
Police are looking to speak with two women over the theft of £7,500 SUS-170220-161102001

Reverend Lynda Hulcoop, minister at Southwick Christian Community Church, had gone to collect the money from Sainsbury’s in Old Shoreham Road, Hove, at around 4pm on Monday, January 23.

She had converted the cash before a charity mission to Zimbabwe from which she returned on Tuesday (February 14).

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Police said most of the cash had been raised via church sales and other events, and it was going to support schools in the African republic, including a special school for disabled children, and the Paraclete Christian Network International, an evangelical group operating in Zimbabwe.

But as Rev Hulcoop went to leave the store, police said two other women followed her to the exit and used ‘sleight of hand’ to remove bundles of banknotes from a bag she was carrying.

Rev Hulcoop said: “Many people had donated and worked very hard to raise these funds for educational support of children, for a special needs school, for the support of a disabled young man who had recently tragically lost his mother, for food and medical aid, for a youth music project and to support our maize seed project growing food.

“Zimbabwe rarely makes the headlines these days, but the situation there is dire. The economy and the banking system have basically collapsed. Normally our charity sends money by bank transfer but this option is no longer viable as the banks only allow people to withdraw US$100 per day involving many long hours of queuing. Thus we had to take cash.”

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After returning from Africa, Rev Hulcoop said: “Having just spent the last two weeks living among these lovely but poverty-stricken people trapped in such dire circumstances and surviving on so little, I am left feeling even more deeply the horrible injustice of this incident. Greedy people preying on others for their own gain have stolen money meant for children and families in desperate need in a country on the verge of collapse. The whole community who gave so generously feels the offence very keenly.”

Detectives have obtained CCTV images of the suspects and have also contacted other bureaux de change concerning the theft.

Anyone who may have seen what happened, who recognises the women believed to have been involved or who may have other information is asked to contact police here with the crime reference 1054 of 23/01.