THE secretary of a local charity has called two men who stole £500 stored in a margarine tub ‘thieving scum’.

The Blackburn district branch of Mencap, which helps people with learning disabilities and their carers, was targeted by distraction thieves.

Two men, described as white and in their 30s, walked into its Blackburn with Darwen Council-owned premises in Penny Street and started measuring curtains.

It is believed that when one knocked over another item, and a volunteer turned her back to help, a sealed margarine tub was stolen from a counter containing the day’s takings.

Branch secretary Irene Woodhouse said: “We can’t say for sure because we didn’t see them do it, but we think it’s the same people who were in the shop looking at some curtains.

“Each local charity rents out the premises for a week to sell its donations, which have been given to a good cause.

“There’s no cash till, so the money was just behind a counter.

"One of the volunteers turned her back for a second and it was gone.”

Mrs Woodhouse said there were four volunteers in the shop at the time.

“We all feel sick at what’s happened, she said. “The lady who was looking after the money couldn’t sleep because she was very upset.

“They are thieving scum. Professionals, who must have been watching us and seen where we put the money."

On Sunday, the Cancer Research charity shop on Town Hall Street, Blackburn, was broken into with thieves stealing a safe containg a few hundred pounds.