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This man is wanted for the meanest crime of Christmas.

On Christmas Day a thief walked into a petrol station and stole a Cancer Research UK collection box from the counter.

Now appalled police have issued CCTV of this man they want to speak to in the hope that someone will identify him.

A man walked into the Shell petrol station on Trafford Road, Ordsall, near the main entrance to Salford Quays.

PC Garry Ward said: “The man has gone into the shop and has been loitering for a while inside. Then he has bought a packet of cigarettes.

“The assistant has been suspicious however because he has continued to loiter near the counter after buying the cigarettes.

“He has then asked the assistant for some batteries. This was a calculated move in order to get the assistant away from him as the batteries were right at the other end of the counter.

“While she was reaching for batteries he has taken the charity box off the counter and slid it under his jacket or down his trousers, then left.

“The assistant has called to him about the batteries and he has said he no longer wants them.

“This was not a spur of the moment opportunist theft. He knew exactly what he was going to do when he went into the shop, and distracted the assistant in order to take the box.”

It is estimated there was between £80 and £100 in the box, which was on the counter, but not secure.

The man struck just after 6.30pm and it is believed he could be local to the area.

One police source said: “To do this on Christmas Day of all days is despicable. We are determined to catch the person responsible.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 4515 quoting the crime reference 201320T/14.

Cancer Research UK depends on donations to finance clinical trials, research centres, and equipment.

It also helps the charity have the clout to lobby government and get funding - including recently £15m worth of investment in radiotherapy. The charity funds more than 4,000 doctors, nurses, and scientists and is the largest medical research charity.

The day after the theft it published a report revealing that in the last five years in the UK 600,000 cancers could have been prevented by healthier lifestyles.