Heartless thieves have stolen charity boxes from a Market Hall cafe for the SECOND time in six weeks.

Councillor Eamonn Higgins, who runs the Accrington Pals cafe with his partner Karen Moxham, said he was shocked to discover money in aid of the Accrington Pals Charity and North West Ambulance Service Community First Responders had been taken on Friday morning.

The Accrington-based paramedic said it was ‘absolutely diabolical behaviour and the lowest of the low’.

The Observer reported last money how charity boxes containing around £60 for the Pals and Brain Tumour Research were taken from the cafe on October 4.

Hyndburn Police issued a CCTV appeal to identify the suspected thief, however no arrests have yet been made.

The cafe, which has been open for 13 months, was targeted again between 6am and 7am on Friday, November 18.

Coun Higgins said cash from their till was also stolen during the raid.

He said: “It’s the second time in a month it has happened to us.

“I’m really shocked. On Friday Karen asked me if I had taken some money out of the till as it was a bit low and then she noticed two of the charity boxes were missing.

“I just thought ‘surely not again?’ It can’t be? Perhaps it’s our own fault for not doing something after last time.

“There were three charity boxes in there. One was for Brain Tumour Research but that was empty so they left that.

“The other two were for the Accrington Pals and the Community First Responders.”

Coun Higgins said they are now going to install extra security measures to stop further thefts.

He said: “We are going to get a safe and keep the boxes in there over night and during the day we will chain them to the counter so they can’t be stolen.

“It’s absolutely diabolical behaviour and the lowest of the low.”

Lancashire Police the the charity boxes contained around £7.

A spokesperson said: “A male has entered the Market Hall and picked up the charity boxes on the cafe counter and walked out of the Market Hall.”

Police said a man from Accrington has been arrested and summonsed to attend court.