Staff at Rotherham Hospice have been left "deflated" after a series of thefts from their charity shop in recent weeks.
The hospice reported two incidents of theft in the past two months. In the most recent on 14 September, a man walked out of the Parkgate branch with a pram and a number of electrical items. He had earlier used counterfeit money to pay for a drink.
Impact on charity services
CEO Mat Cottle-Shaw said he felt charity shops were becoming a "prime target for people that are unfortunately becoming ever more desperate".
"For our staff to see things walk off the shelves and be taken just so brazenly is so disappointing," he said.
Funds raised through the shops support both patients and their families. Cottle-Shaw said that without the extra revenue "we simply wouldn't be able to carry on functioning".
He expressed concern that incidents of theft from charity shops could rise, adding that people find it too expensive to buy what they need and charity shops are an easy target.
"When people take from our stores, they're not just taking from the hospice, they are taking from our community," he said. "Our retail stores are a connection with communities. They generate money in order for us to carry on our services, but they also are a key touch point for people to come and volunteer, get back into work, or to learn about the hospice."
Previous incident
The recent thefts follow a break-in at the hospice's donation centre in Rawmarsh Road in July, when a window was broken and a donation tin was stolen.
Police investigation
South Yorkshire Police said it was aware of the most recent incident and a report had been "filed pending further information coming to light". Anyone with information is asked to contact the force.