Limerick bag thief steals clothes destined for children in need from charity shop

A HEARTLESS thief has made off with eight bags of clothing destined for children in need in Limerick.

The bags were left outside Limerick’s Gateway to Education Shop in Wickham Street, which offers second-hand books, clothes and learning materials at discounted prices to parents who might not be able to afford new material.

Charity boss Suzanne Roche of Rosbrien, has said she is “disgusted” at the theft which she also described as “desperate” – and she warned the female thief that she has been caught on closed circuit television, as has her car registration number.

“I was very angry as I am dependent on people’s generosity and the person who left the bags there did so in good faith, and then they were taken away without any thought. I couldn’t leave this go unanswered, if I did, it means other people think it will be okay to do this,” she told the Limerick Leader.

Suzanne has asked people to only drop off donations during working hours either to the shop in Wickham Street, or their depot in the Tait Business Centre in nearby Dominic Street.​

“We wouldn’t be the only charity this has happened to,” Suzanne said. “There have been a few occasions. The  bags were left outside at 6pm – one worker saw them, went home to get his keys and by the time he came back they were gone.”

As well as selling goods at greatly reduced prices, Limerick Gateway to Education also runs an after-school homework club, with proceeds from sales of items in the store covering store rent and the operation of this.

However, out of a bad has come a good, with 30 generous souls donating bags of items since Suzanne made people aware of the theft through the social network Facebook.

”It’s been wonderful. It shows how good hearted people are. We’ve had donations from as far away as Roscommon, Nenagh and Portlaoise,” she said.

Many charities nationwide have experienced an increase in people leaving bags of clothing and other items outside shops. Charities have voiced concerns about the practice as, particularly when the bags are left unattended overnight, their contents often end up being taken or thrown out onto the footpath or street outside the shop.