Want Newport news straight to your inbox? Sign up to our newsletter! Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Residents in a retirement housing scheme in Cardiff have been left devastated after a burglar stole their Christmas party fund in the middle of the night.

The £304.84 was taken on November 23 from the 27 residents who live in Stephenson Court - a housing complex for the elderly on Newport Road.

Each resident paid £12 each in the hope they could have a nice meal together on December 18 and book a singer to perform for them.

Sarah Manners, from Wales and West Housing which owns the complex, said the money was locked securely in the scheme manager’s office.

She said CCTV footage of the incident shows a person kicking in the door of the manager’s office at 3.15am.

“Obviously the residents are very, very upset about this. It’s a lot of hard saved cash for many of them. £12 is a lot of money to older people. They are really devastated by it.”

Teresa Hurley, 80, has been living at Stephenson Court for four years.

She said: “I was going to church on Sunday and there was a detective in the foyer who told me somebody had broken in.

“The door to the warden’s office was smashed in and they had taken our money that we were going to put towards our Christmas meal.

“We haven’t had anything like this happen before. It is a very secure place here but the people living here are in their 90s and they feel really worried and afraid.

“We were going to use the money to have Christmas dinner together and also to hire somebody to come and play the trombone and clarinet for us for the evening. We don’t know what is going to happen now.”

A South Wales Police spokesman said: “We are appealing for information following a burglary which occurred in the early hours of Sunday, November 23.

“An intruder gained access to Stephenson Court on Wordsworth Avenue and stole a quantity of cash before making off.

“Police are appealing for anyone who may have any information concerning this incident to contact South Wales Police on 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 and quote reference 1400438162.”