Poppy appeal, collection box

The Royal British Legion box had been on the counter of Prince’s butchers on Allerton Bywater’s Main Street.

Owner Rodney Prince said he first noticed the box had gone on Friday morning when a customer asked him to put their change in the box.

He said: “I could not believe it, that somebody would stoop so low as to steal a charity box.”

Mr Prince, whose family has run the business in the town since 1955, said the charity box could have been stolen that morning, or the previous afternoon.