THE founder of a foodbank has pleaded with "opportunistic" thieves to return the hundreds of pounds worth of goods they reportedly stole from the charity overnight.

Maureen Cummings at Old Kilpatrick Food Parcels says a water hose and 24 concrete slabs were taken from the garden of her new venture the Wee Chatty Café through the night.

She admits the nighttime raid will leave the charity out of pocket and believes the theft must have been conducted using a van to move the heavy patio slabs.

Speaking about the value of the stolen goods, Maureen said: “It’s maybe a couple of hundreds of pounds worth.

“But it’s not really the money.

“We know people are kind and chances are before the days out, someone will have replaced them.

“But I just would have loved whoever has taken them to just leave them somewhere and let us come back and get them.

“It’s not precious stuff and maybe they have not realised we are the food bank.”

The charity founder – who set up the community group just over three years ago – says she hasn't contacted police as she feels local officers have ‘enough on their plate’ at the moment.

But she is angry they will now need to spend much-needed funds on beefing up the security at their takeaway café and the community garden at the Saltings.

“We now need to spend money that we have not got to get a more efficient security camera system up,” Maureen added.

“I see that as a waste of money when we are trying to feed people.”

Maureen hopes the thieves will think about their actions and insists they perhaps didn’t know they were stealing from a charity which aims to feed local people.

And she finished with a message to those in possession of the goods: “You maybe didn’t realise that we are a charity and that everything that you have taken has been donated to us.

“If you could just leave them somewhere, let us know where they are and we will go and get them.

“I can’t think it would be somebody in need, but if it is, come and speak to me.”