Ford charity's future in jeopardy after theft

Peter Austin has branded thieves who targeted his charity callous and disgusting L04013H14

The Arun Coordinated Community Transport (ACCT) had been on the road to recovery despite West Sussex County Council axing £20,000 from its budget, last year.

But thieves have now dashed those hopes of a fresh start, when they broke into ACCT’s new base, at the Rudford Industrial Estate, Ford, leaving the charity £1,700 out of pocket.

Peter Austin, project manager of ACCT, explained the burglars stole £400 in cash, as well as taking a number of fuel and bank cards and causing extensive damage to the organisation’s office.

Mr Austin said: “The whole value of the break-in has come to about £1,700 that we have effectively lost. That’s a significant sum of cash for a charity.”

He added: “It’s just disgusting. I think if anyone broke into a charity there has to be something certainly wrong with them as for as there mentality is concerned.

“They have no scruples at all. It’s just sickening. It’s hard enough to try and keep the charity going as it is with all the recent cuts we’ve had to face.

“So to have this on top of that, is going to put a serious strain on us during the next financial year.”

The incident took place at about 9.45pm, on Monday, January 13.

For the full story, see this week’s Littlehampton Gazette (Thursday, January 30).