WHILE the people in Westbury have been giving generously to this year’s poppy appeal, a heartless thief stole one of the collection boxes in the town on the eve of Remembrance Sunday.
The collection box, which was tied to the till of Westbury’s Air Ambulance shop, was stolen at some point on the afternoon of Saturday 12th November, a day before the Remembrance Sunday parade marched past its doors.
Bill Prior, poppy appeal organiser for the Westbury Branch of the Royal British Legion, said, “Dot [shop manager] was very very upset. It was tied to the till, someone went and cut it away and took it. It went on Saturday afternoon, so it had been there a fortnight, so it could have been quite a lot.”
Bill estimates that the container could have contained as much as £60, but hopes the Royal British Legion will be able to claim the money back from their insurance, so those generous enough to donate will not have done so needlessly.
