UPSET staff at a York chartered accountancy firm have been left with an empty space under their Christmas tree after a heartless thief struck.

Four bags full of festive gifts were stolen from the Museum Street offices of Hunter, Gee and Holroyd as workers gathered them together for the Christmas bash.

VAT administrator Helen Harris, 63, said the presents had been bought by women colleagues for each other as part of an annual "secret Santa".

She said: "If we had known that they were going to be stolen we would have bought something more appropriate - like a slap in the face."

The thief struck on Thursday night at 6pm after the presents had been gathered together behind the business's reception.

Staff do not know how the opportunist got in to the building, which has an entrance guarded by a security code, but suspect the thief may have sneaked in after someone else.

Mrs Harris said her co-workers were "devastated" by the theft, but that they were determined to have a good time at their Christmas party anyway.

She said: "We are extremely upset but one of the girls has gone out to buy some chocolates and bubbly so we can cheer ourselves up."

Updated: 09:35 Saturday, December 20, 2003