Staff at St Catherine's Hospice have been left reeling after thieves stole their entire backyard.
Stunned staff arrived for work to find yobs had ripped up flagstones from the back of the charity's shop in Lostock Hall and had even left some propped up against a wall ready for a return raid.
The late-night thieves, who smashed a lock on a wrought iron gate to get into the Leyland Road site, were branded 'despicable' by police.
The shop sells clothing and bric-a-brac to raise vital funds for the hospice and volunteers often use the yard to sort out goods.
But they say the missing York stone slabs – worth up to £60 a square yard – have left the yard looking like a mudbath.
The attack happened overnight on Thursday.
Det Sgt John Cass, of South Ribble CID, said: "Any crime against a charity is particularly despicable.
"We know stolen paving slabs are generally taken to places like reclamation yards and sold on and so we would urge reclamation yards or anyone offered paving slabs to alert us."
Anyone with information call police on 0845 1 253545 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
- For more on this story, see this week's Leyland Guardian
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