A CALLOUS thief stole from a charity before allegedly threatening to assault a passer-by.

Shocked volunteers in Mencap’s Leigh store came face-to-face with the thief, who had sneaked in to the back room to rifle through bags and steal the morning’s takings.

Money from the charity shop, in Rectory Grove, goes directly to supporting children and adults with learning difficulties who live in the area.

The £130 theft comes as a blow to the shop, which was also targeted in a spate of Leigh charity shop break-ins in March this year.

Brave Mary Fitzgerald, 66, manager of the store, confronted the man.

She said: “He was there in front of me and when I asked what he was doing, he started pulling a shirt over his clothes, saying he wanted to try it on.

“Then he went in the staff toilet. When he came out and into the shop, I realised he had taken the money and said ‘are you going to give us the money back then?’

“He started shouting and yelling aggressively ‘are you calling me a thief?’ A customer told us to call the police and then he disappeared out of the shop. A customer on the street said he went to hit someone.”

He then disappeared down an alleyway.

The shop had its door smashed in and petty cash stolen in March when five charity shops in the town were targeted.

Mrs Fitzgerald added: “It’s one thing after another. It’s shocking someone would steal from charity. Everyone in the shop was astonished.

“It was awful to come face to face with him. He was a big bloke and £130 is nothing for the safety of staff and customers.”

The thief was white, tall, with light brown hair, aged 25 to 30 and was wearing a high-visibility waistcoat jacket. He claimed to be a builder.

Anyone with information about the theft, which took place at about 3pm on Monday, can call police on 101.