A shop manager was left fuming after her charity box was stolen when she turned her back for a few minutes.

Kelly North, who owns Head First at the Priory Market Place, Dartford, described the culprits as “the lowest of the low” after discovering her collection for the ellenor hospice had been stolen.

“It really is the lowest of the low,” she said. “You would know your conscience would step in and think however much you need something it is not worth stealing from a charity for people who are dying.

“I know people have it hard but it’s awful to think there are people in the community who can be like that.”

Kelly, who has run the hair and beauty products shop for 30 years, said she left the counter for a few minutes to see a customer and when she returned a man was acting suspiciously near the till.

She said: “We don’t really have any male customers so he looked out of place.

“He was rustling a carrier bag and when I asked him what he wanted he slurred something about his son needing treatment for a bald patch.

“The chain had been cut. It must have been him. I was so angry...”

“When I told him we didn’t have anything he quickly went away.”

Kelly said it was only later when she went to place some change in the box for the Northfleet hospice that she realised it was missing.

“The chain had been cut,” she said. “It must have been him. I was so angry.”

Kelly said the charity box was full and probably contained about £25 as she had been due to call ellenor to come and collect it.

She was furious it would not receive the donation.

“It’s a great charity,” she said. “I used to visit my mum in a different hospice and when I go and deliver the donations to ellenor they are all so lovely and grateful.”

Kelly believes the incident happened around 11am on Monday, September 4 and has asked security at The Priory Shopping Centre in Dartford to check its CCTV.

Police are investigating and anyone with information should call 01474 366149, quoting 5-0377.