VOLUNTEER lifeboat crew members have been left shocked after their charitable collection box was broken into and emptied.
The collection box outside the RNLI Brighton shop in Brighton Marina has been raided twice in the last month.
As a charity, donations from the public are essential to ensuring the RNLI can carry on its lifesaving work.
Brighton’s lifeboat crew launched 35 times and helped 16 people in the last year alone.
The crew at the station said they were sorely disappointed about the theft of the donated money, which would have helped fund vital training or equipment.
In a joint statement, they said: “The money in that collection box was generously donated by members of the public who have chosen to support the work we do.
“Our volunteers work very hard to keep launching to rescue those who needs us. This just makes it harder.”
As the money was donated voluntarily, it is difficult to estimate how much money was stolen.
The collection box will now be removed and replaced with a contactless donation machine in the window of the shop.
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