Aldeburgh RNLI’s festive spirit put to test following lifeboat station break-in
Volunteers at Aldeburgh RNLI have had their festive spirits put to the test after thieves broke into the charity’s lifeboat station.
The incident occurred in the early hours of this morning (Wednesday 20 December) when intruders broke through a window and gained entry to the station.
Once inside, they smashed up furniture and stole various funds, including the volunteer crew members’ tea and coffee kitty. They also ransacked the building leaving the station with a considerable clean-up operation and repair bill.
RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager, Charlie Walker said: ‘It was heart-breaking to discover that our lifeboat station had been broken into and I can’t possibly comprehend why anyone would want to target our lifesaving service.
‘The thieves have committed a mindless act of vandalism by breaking our office furniture and they’ve caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to the building too.
‘The break-in has been a real kick in the teeth to our volunteer crew but they won’t let it dampen their festive spirits. They’ll be on-call throughout Christmas, ready to drop everything and save lives at sea.’
Aldeburgh RNLI was also targeted by vandals earlier in the year when the lifeboat station window was smashed resulting in a substantial repair bill.
Charlie added: ‘The RNLI is a charity and all our equipment is paid for through public donations. It is exasperating that we will now have to rely on the generosity of our supporters to fix the damage to the site and to increase the security measures we already have in place.’
Anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity or has knowledge of the incident should contact Suffolk police on 101, quoting crime reference 37/80533/17 or CAD reference 72 of 20 December 2017.
RNLI media contacts
- For more information, please contact Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Media Officer North East and East on: 07824 518641 or at [email protected]
- Or, Caron Hill, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on: 07837 263210.
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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