A Woodford Green charity is appealing for information to identify the thieves who stole a donation jar containing around £300.
CCTV footage shows a group of three men and a woman wandering into the Anglers Rest Café, within the grounds of conservation charity Redbridge Lakes, in Roding Lane North, on April 21.
Within seconds the woman takes the penny jar from front counter, hides it under her top and runs out of the shop.
Gordon Bullock, one of the centre’s directors, released the footage from the incident last night (June 25), in a bid to help identify the culprits.
“The police have done all they can I suppose with the limited resources they have got,” said the 65-year-old.
“It’s certainly disappointing when the general public have donated to this cause and then someone just goes and steals it,” he added.
“I don’t suspect we’ll get the money back unless we are extremely fortunate.”
“But it will be nice to see that the culprits are caught and brought to justice.”
Redbridge Lakes is a 10-acre fishing and conservation hub created on a former wasteland.
As well as fishing and nature conservation, it offers arts and classes and yoga lessons and is used by the children who take part in Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Rainbows clubs across the borough.
The money was intended to help create a temporary club house to enable the club to offer a wider range of activities during the winter times, Gordon said.
He said: “What we are trying to do is provide an educational facility for community groups to use, centring on conservation.”
“These groups include everything from under privileged children to people with physical disabilities; it goes right across the broad spectrum really.”
A Met Police spokesman said: “Police received a report of theft on 21 April after a charitable collection container was stolen from Redbridge Lakes Cafe in Woodford Green.
“CCTV footage of the incident has been retrieved.
“No arrests have been made.”
Any witnesses are asked to call police on 101 or Tweet @MetCC.
Information can also be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here