Police are appealing for information after a thief swiped a cash box from a children's charity stall in Medway Hospital.

Making Miracles charity is fundraising for extra equipment at the hospital's Fetal Unit, where volunteers were selling knitted goods and collecting cash on Friday.

But the charity workers were left distraught when they realised a man had walked off with their cash box containing £97.50.

It's the second set-back for the charity in a month, following the vandalism of its baby memorial garden in St Margaret’s Street, Rochester, two weeks ago.

"A guy went up and distracted one of our volunteers," said charity founder Kelly Wells. "He asked if they had something in a different colour, she went off to the store cupboard and he put his hoodie or jacket on the box. The other lady didn't see and he picked it up and walked off."

Mrs Wells, had been on holiday, due to return on Saturday, but came back as soon as she learnt on Friday.

"It ruined my holiday," she said. "All of us are very upset. The volunteers feel awful because it happened on their watch.

"We're all volunteers and when you're trying to give back to the community, something like this is heartbreaking.

"It's two awful sets of circumstances that have happened in one month, and its left us doubly shaken.

"But we won't be beaten, we'll carry on."

"It's not about the money," she added. "It's about that guy. I want him to be caught so he doesn't do it to anyone else."

The man was described as aged in his 30s, with dark hair, wearing baggy jogging bottoms and a grey hoodie. He was about 5ft 6ins, white and very skinny, with two red marks on the left hand side of his face.

Police confirmed they are investigating a reported theft of cash from the charity between 10.10am and 10.20am on Friday.

Witnesses are asked to call 101 quoting reference XY/26451/15.