Heartless burglars stole money from cancer charity boxes after smashing through the roof to raid a Bradford flower shop.

The raiders broke vases and left cards and ribbons strewn around the floor during the break-in at Estelle’s Bouquets florist.

Shop owner Mark Fallon warned his customers to be on their guard after revealing that the burglars had obtained customers’ phone details and had been ringing them in a bid to con them out of money.

Mr Fallon, 48, who runs the shop, in Rooley Lane, Dudley Hill, with his wife Jacqui, said: “They have been ringing up our customers, pretending to be from the shop and coming up with some plausible excuse for their money not going through and trying to get their card details.

“I want to warn our customers not to give any details or pay any money. If they are in any doubt, they can ring us at the shop with confidence.”

The raiders struck in the early hours of Saturday, December 28, removing 20 concrete tiles from the roof and then kicking through wood and plasterboard ceilings.

They emptied drawers and dumped items all over the floor in a search for valuables, stealing about £240 in cash and two computers.

Mr Fallon said: “The worst thing was they took the Marie Curie Cancer charity box from the counter.”

He added: “Someone must know who is responsible for this and I urge them to report them to the police so they don’t do it to anybody else.”