Furious staff at a Selby charity shop have expressed their shock and disbelief after callous burglars left a "calling card."

After smashing their way into the Imperial Cancer Research shop, in Gowthorpe, the thieves took one of the charity's printed cards saying "Thank you for your generous gift" and left it in the till.

After ransacking the upstairs office, they made off with cash from two collecting boxes and some perfumed candles.

Shop manager Mary Pollock said: "The devastation is unbelievable. They have ripped the metal bars off a window, vandalised the kitchen sink unit and till, and emptied drawers and boxes of papers all over the floor.

"To leave a calling card in the till is beyond belief - they must be sick."

On the same night, just a few yards further down Gowthorpe, the British Heart Foundation shop was also raided - for the second time in three days.

Mrs Pollock said: "They are obviously targeting charity shops, which is despicable. Just how low can you get?

"Our volunteers work very hard for the money we make for cancer research and staff morale is pretty low at the moment."

At the nearby British Heart Foundation shop, staff are trying to come to terms with their second burglary in a week.

Manager Elaine Clayton said: "We can't believe what's happening to us. Another window has been broken and the bars ripped off, and they used a big brick to smash the door frame off.

"They then rifled the drawers and took a petty cash tin."

In the first raid, the burglars made off with a till float and National Lottery winnings belonging to a staff syndicate.

Both shops believe that drug addicts are responsible for the thefts.

Mrs Clayton said: "I am becoming very apprehensive when I open up the shop now in a morning.

"On the morning of the second break-in, I saw a chair had been moved, so I grabbed a poker before creeping upstairs.

"You just never know whether they are still there - it's frightening."

Anyone with information should contact Selby police on 01757 702596.

Updated: 16:26 Tuesday, May 22, 2001