A thief who stole a charity collection box from a blind fundraiser has been branded "despicable" by police.

The callous youngster - believed to be only 12 years old - struck at a busy supermarket yesterday.

His victim had been left alone only moments, when the cash was stolen.

Police are now hunting a young boy who was spotted picking up the collection box at Morrisons in Mayo Avenue, Bradford, at about 4.30pm yesterday.

Today officers appealed for shoppers who were in the supermarket to come forward with any information which might help catch the culprit.

The thief swooped when he saw Royal National Institute for the Blind fundraiser Nigel Gary left alone for a few minutes at a stall at the supermarket.

The thief was seen shaking the box, which contained £80 for the charity's Rose campaign, before walking out of the store with it.

The cash was to go towards buying a talking book machine for a blind Bradford youngster.

Morrisons staff are trawling through video film from the store's security cameras to help police identify him.

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Hennigan, of Odsal Police, said: "It's a most despicable crime that's been committed by somebody who's known they were stealing from a vulnerable member of society. Words fail us."

Mr Gary, 41, who has been blind since birth and is an official volunteer street and stores collections co-ordinator for the charity, was on the last of a three day collection campaign in Bradford.

He only discovered the theft when a woman asked if she could buy a rose from him and he found the collecting box had gone.

It is made of blue plastic and has a sticker round it saying RNIB Roses Campaign.

Mr Gary, of Peniston, near Huddersfield, said: "I'm absolutely sickened about the whole thing - this is the first time anything like this has happened in all the 19 years I've been collecting for charity.

"We'd done a hard day's work and we were nearly at the end of it when this happened. We're never going to recover the money."

Mr Gary said a man who was working in the supermarket for window firm Northern Trade Windows, saw a youth pick up the tin but thought he must have been connected to the RNIB.

"My big concern is that the thief will take the money and use the tin to go out collecting and we want to warn the public that if they see any bogus collectors using the box to contact the RNIB," he said.

A Morrisons spokesman said: "It's a terrible thing to have happened and we're extremely disappointed.

"Under the circumstances, we have done everything we can to try to help Mr Gary.

"We're sorry that such a thing could have taken place and would hope that whoever's taken the money would see fit to put it back."

Any witnesses to the crime should contact the Odsal Police help desk on (01274) 376662.

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