GUNNISLAKE Woodland Centre Chair, Stuart Bailey expressed his frustration over the break-in that occurred at the premises last week.

The volunteer-run centre was broken into sometime between Monday evening and Wednesday morning where some cash was stolen along with some kitchen knives, speakers and a first aid kit.

Entry was made into the premises by the culprit ripping opening the keysafe outside and using the key to enter the building.

The Woodland Centre located at Woodland Way is a Cornwall Council-owned building and is a charity that was originally set up to support the elderly and infirm that lived in the vicinity. The centre that is run by volunteers has groups that regularly use the space including a craft group and the Wednesday Winter Warmer that is helping to combat cold and loneliness during the winter months.

‘The craft group turned up on the Wednesday and realised that someone had ripped the keysafe open and stolen the key’, said Stuart.

‘Once they had access to the key they could let themselves in.

‘I’ve been involved with the Woodland Centre for five years or so now and we’ve never had any instances like this and I’m not aware of any in the past at all either.’

Stuart expressed his annoyance with the break-in.

Stuart said: ‘It’s frustrating, it’s unexpected in a community like ours and it’s upsetting.

‘We’re all volunteers who run the centre and we’re there to benefit and help the community and it’s very frustrating that someone from the community has done this really.’

Stuart also felt that the centre was potentially ‘targeted’ as only certain items were stolen. The cash that was stolen was less than £50 and was donation funds for the groups tea and coffee.

‘It looks like the cash was targeted as if someone knew it was there. You could tell they made a beeline for it, it was hidden and well out the way. You wouldn’t know that there is cash in there from going in there. It’s kept in a locked cupboard in a utility room well out of the way and there wouldn’t be any reason for regular users to access that area.

‘I would say that at some point someone found out that there was money there.

‘We’ve got a huge 42-inch flat screen television that wasn’t touched at all, so that’s one of the reasons we feel that they knew what they were going in for.’

The kitchen knives that were taken might have now been located in Fosters Field after someone claimed to have found some.

‘We didn’t realise that the knives had been taken in the first instance. Now some knives have actually been found in Fosters Field. I’m trying to get hold of the person who found those as I assume they’re ours.’

The key safe will not be replaced, the locks have already been changed and groups will now be assigned a key.

The crime has been reported to the police, however Stuart encourges anyone with information to come forward.

If anyone has any information they are asked to contact 101 quoting the crime number: 50230013782.