BURGLARS who targeted a Kidderminster charity shop have been branded as "despicable" and "heartless" by police.

The raiders broke into the Kemp Hospice shop in Oxford Street between 6pm on Saturday and 9am on Monday.Kemp Hospice shop manager Jackie Medhurst with an overturned sale rail.

They got into the building after forcing apart bars at the back and smashing a window before climbing through it.

They then ransacked the shop, pulling over a display stand holding curtains and linen and throwing the till on the floor.

Among other items stolen was a box containing 15 old mobile telephones, which shop staff send for recycling.

The break-in was discovered by shop manager, Jackie Medhurst, as she opened up on Monday morning.

Mrs Medhurst said: "I saw straight away something awful had happened. It was just a horrible mess and it has taken us all day to clear up. She said the burglars had been through the building, turning out drawers and even breaking open an old till in an apparent search for cash.

Mrs Medhurst said: "It is so sad that anybody would do this to a charity shop such as Kemp, which is here to help local people.

"We had to be closed all day on Monday. We lost a day's trade as well as the cost of damage to the building and of what was stolen."

A small amount of money was missing she said, as well as a box of batteries, a chess set, two paper weights, a vase and several old gold-coloured watches.

"I had not had chance to get the watches valued so we will never know if they were actually gold or worth anything."

She stressed the shop was now open.

A police spokeswoman said: "The fact these people have targeted a charity shop is despicable. They are heartless." She said a forensic examination would take place.