A PAIR of thieves who stole Poppy Appeal collection boxes were today branded the “lowest of the low” by the Royal British Legion.

There have been 11 thefts and one attempted theft of the boxes reported in Oxford since October 1 – with Headington being the worst hit.

Police said they were linking five incidents in the area in which a man and woman went into a shop and used a baby in a pram as a distraction to steal the boxes.

Terry Cox, the chairman of the Headington branch of the RBL, said: “As far as we’re concerned these people are the lowest of the low.

“Anyone nicking charity boxes, especially poppy ones, should be sent to the military hospital in Solihull – where the injured come back from Iraq and Afghanistan – and see where the money goes.

“They should also be sent out to Afghanistan to see what the soldiers go through.”

The Headington incidents were:

  • October 27, Londis Store, London Road.
  • November 2, Salon Scandinavia, Windmill Road.
  • November 6, Londis Store, London Road.
  • November 9, Frog Orange, Windmill Road.
  • Attempted theft: November 9, Brambles, London Road.

Stephen Sinclair, the manager of Salon Scandinavia, whose father served in the Army, said: “It’s disgusting, because of what it is and particularly in light of the soldiers still out there fighting.

“Our customers have been shocked about it.”

He added that it was thought the stolen box contained about £60 or £70.

He said: “Obviously the poppy people have been round, and they were complaining how much trouble they’ve been having all over the place.”

Dick Evans, a case investigator with the Oxford robbery team, said yesterday: “There had been 10 reports of thefts of poppy boxes in Oxford. But having done inquiries today I’ve picked up two more and these are definitely linked to the other three in Headington.

“Everyone has given exactly the same description of them and the same method with the baby in the buggy.

“In Thames Valley Police there’s a lot of ex-servicemen now serving as police officers and they are really upset about it.”

In November last year, Adrian Holmes, 29, formerly of Giles Road, in Littlemore, Oxford, was jailed after being caught on CCTV stealing money from Legion charity tins in Wantage.

  • Money raised by the Poppy Appeal helps ex-servicemen and women and their families in a number of ways.

Some cash is set aside for loans to those in financial difficulty.

Other funds enable families hit by illness or bereavement to go on organised trips to Poppy Break Centres in seaside resorts.

Seven Poppy Homes also provide long and short term care to ex-service people.

More than a quarter of the RBL payments go on food and household essentials.

Anyone who has been in the British Armed Forces for at least seven paid days qualifies for support from the RBL.

In Oxfordshire in 2008, £150,000 was paid out.