THIEVES walked into a pub and stole £700 destined for a young people's health charity - spurring regulars to put up a reward to snare the "sick" criminals.

A bottle three-quarters full of notes and coins was taken from the bar at the Weary Traveller in Sutton Road, Kidderminster, last Wednesday morning before opening time while the front door was open following repainting.Weary Traveller regulars John Brannan, Lorraine Lojko and Stefan Lojki with landlady Kath Robinson with the replacement charity bottle for CRY after ther original was stolen

Landlady Kath Robinson and regulars - who had raised the cash since last August for the Cardiac Risk in the Young group - slammed the thieves but stressed the pub would continue fund-raising.

"If they took the money out of the till I could have put up with it - but to take it out of a charity bottle is a bit sick," said Mrs Robinson, 62, who has been at the pub two years.

And regular Rob Jones, 36 - one of 10 customers putting up the £500 reward - said: "It's been stolen from all the customers and from the charity. It's a wicked thing."

The money had come from customers' loose change and a weekly lottery competition, which boosts cash from the annual bowls competition held at the pub every August.

The pub has been supporting CRY - which aims to raise awareness of a range of heart problems which can kill young people without warning - for six years and last year raised more than £1,000.

The link started thanks to pub regular Tony Barker, whose brother-in-law Andrew Ball collapsed and died aged 16 while playing football in 1980.

Mr Barker's father-in-law Roy Ball, 66, a founder member of CRY, said: "On Saturday evening when I spoke to him he was close to tears."

But Mr Ball added his son-in-law was "determined to carry on" with the fund-raising even though this year had been due to see a record amount raised.

Mrs Robinson said the pub now has a new charity jar which contains £55 raised from raffle ticket sales during the weekend.

She added the reward would be donated to the charity if it did not lead to a conviction.

The £500 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the theft.

Anyone with information should call Kidderminster Police on 08457 444888.