A callous thief stole a charity box from a florist in Elm Park intended to help raise money after the owner discovered her friend’s sister had cancer.

Elm Park Florists, in Station Parade, set up the Cancer Research box on their counter throughout October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Tina Death, co-owner of the shop said she wanted to do something positive after discovering her friend’s sister had cancer. Their mother had previously died from the disease.

But on Tuesday between 12pm and 2pm the thief stole the box while distracting her colleague.

She said: “I wanted to make something positive out of it and do something for Think Pink Month. People donated money every time they bought a bouquet, or for raffle tickets, or if they bought a bow.

“It’s heart-breaking that someone has taken that without a thought.”

Jo Gentry, co-owner of the shop, said the man who she suspects stole the box asked her to make a bouquet of flowers for him.

She went into the back of the shop; he then called out that he would return once he got some money from a cashpoint. She believes the box was stolen when she went to make the bouquet.

She said: “It’s disgusting that someone would go into a small business, trick them and steal something intended for charity.”

She said they had raised half of their �200 target, and still intended to raise the pledged money by the beginning of November.

The man was aged about 50, was 6 ft tall, slim, with grey brown hair, wearing a black jacket and carrying a black rucksack.

A Havering police spokeswoman said police were called to Elm Park Florist for the theft of a charity box at 1.30pm. The investigation is on-going.

If you have any information you can call Havering Police on 101.