Upset as charitycafe is burgled

David McBride said the culprits broke down two fences and a window at the rear of Tin House Coffee in Market Street on Sunday night to gain access to the property.

A sum of money and an iPad were stolen.

He said, “That is money that is now lost to the projects we support.”

The cafe, an extension of Drop Inn Ministries, helps fund projects for Aids orphans in Burkina Faso and Kenya.

Locally, it also supports Madlug, which works with children in foster care, and Aspire, Craigavon, for children who are not achieving in school.

Meanwhile, a neighbouring business, the Phone Hub, has come to the cafe’s aid, not only helping when police were analysing CCTV footage but also donating an iPad to replace the one stolen.

Said David, “I find that when something bad happens, the people really respond well. It shows how generous they are.”

The cafe was set up in Portadown three years ago and, said David, is a place where people of all ages and from all walks of life can go and sit all day if they want to.

“We want the local community to benefit from it, and it is doing really well,” he added.

Councillor Darryn Causby has slammed those responsible for the break-in. He said, “The Tin House is a hive of activity every day and the team there provide a valuable local service in Portadown.

“It is also well known that the Tin House is a registered charity with profits going to help some of the most vulnerable people in our world. “For someone to break into this establishment is nothing short of disgraceful.”

Anyone with information should phone police by calling 101, quoting reference number 260 17/07/2017, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.