A THIEF who sneakily stole a donation box from a struggling disability charity after posing as a potential volunteer has been branded a “lowlife.”

The man walked into the offices of Dial, in Southernhay, Basildon and pretended to be interested in helping out.

When staff were distracted finding a form for him, he brazenly swiped the charity tin from the desk.

Staff returned at about 1.50pm on Tuesday to discover the man had scarpered and the charity box had disappeared.

Manager Janet Stevens estimates the box could have contained up to £100 worth of vital funds.

She said: “He came in on the assumption that he was looking to get information for his sister to volunteer for us.

“There were two volunteers on the desk at the time and we asked one of them to go get a volunteer application form for him. The other lady was on the phone.

“As soon as one of the women went to get the form, he must have taken it then.

“By the time she got back, which was just minutes later, he had gone and so had the box.

“We don’t know how much was in it, we told the police there must have been about £60.

“We moved and emptied a second collection box and that had £100 inside.”

Mrs Stevens said the theft was particularly upsetting as the charity, which offers support and advice for disabled residents, has been struggling to raise funds.

It was told in November last year that Basildon Council planned to scrap its £65,000 a year funding.

Mrs Stevens added: “We are struggling to survive at the moment as it is. We are likely to close by Christmas anyway.

“Disabled people come to us for help because they are struggling and they still manage to put something in the box to help us.

“But then you get a lowlife like this, who helps himself. It’s awful.”

She said the charity now intends to chain the boxes to the desk.

Dial offers home visits to housebound clients, provides help with filling in forms, benefit advice, and help with disability-related issues.

It is staffed by 14 part-time volunteers.

It is the second time in recent weeks charity boxes have been stolen.

Two charity tins were swiped from the Big Q fish bar, in Whitmore Way, Basildon, on Thursday, April 21.

An Essex Police spokesman said: “Police were contacted on Tuesday with reports of the theft of a charity box from Dial in Basildon.

“It happened at around 1.50pm.”

Anyone with information can call officers on 101.