A POST office is showing community spirit by taking donations for a charity shop struck by "heartless" raiders.

The Weldmar Hospice shop on Great George Street, Weymouth, was burgled between 5pm on Friday March 25 and 8.30am on Tuesday March 29.

The thieves had burst in through the back door, stealing the takings kept at the rear of the shop.

Pauline Holt is the manager at the charity shop and was the first to discover the crime when she came into work on Tuesday morning.

She said: "Everything looked fine until I looked at the back where they had crow-barred through the door.

"They didn't come into the shop, probably because they didn't want to be seen from the road.

"The local post office heard about it last week, and this week they are doing a collection for us.

"It's just so sad.

"The amount of effort that is put in processing everything from donors and volunteers, to have it just taken.

"I just hope that whoever did this or members of their family never needs our services.

"It has been very upsetting for the volunteers that come and work here."

"It's lovely what the post office is doing."

Marie Monk, assistant manager at the Post Office on Great George Street, started taking donations for the charity shop.

She has posted signs in the shop, explaining just what the donations are for to anyone interested.

She said: "It's just so heartless.

"One of the girls from the shop came around looking quite upset.

"We just asked if we could do something to help.

"I popped around to see the ladies in the shop, asked for a few collection boxes and put up the notice in the shop.

"We've had quit a good response already - even people that are down on holiday are giving money."

Caroline Hamblett, Weldmar's Chief Executive, said: "Our charity shops are a vital source of funding for Weldmar Hospicecare.

"Without the money raised from the sale of stock kindly donated by the Dorset public, we would not be able to offer our services for free to patients and their families.

"If you have any information about this break-in we would plead with you to contact Dorset Police by calling 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: "Police are investigating a burglary at the Weldmar charity shop on Great George Street, Weymouth.

"The burglary occurred sometime between 5pm on Friday 25 March and the morning of Tuesday 29 March 2016.

"A quantity of cash and collection boxes were stolen.

"Witnesses or anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting incident number 29:43."

More to follow.