A FIRM of funeral directors in Tavistock has come up trumps for a good cause after a charity collecting box was stolen from the Spar shop in Ford Street recently.
Staff at the shop were collecting money for a sponsored abseil down the side of the Civic Centre building in Plymouth, to raise funds for cancer charity the Marie Curie Foundation.
But just before the event, the box was taken from the shop. Although it had been emptied of the bulk of the collection the day before, the theft upset staff who had been working hard to raise funds.
But Tavistock and District Funeral Service, which is based just up the road from the shop, stepped in to help.
Keith Priddis, funeral director, said: 'We saw in the Times that their box had been stolen and we approached them with the idea of making up the shortfall.
'It was for such a good cause and it was such a dastardly trick to steal it. We all live in the same street and it felt the right thing to do.'
Diane Andrews, assistant manageress at the shop, said: 'We thought it was fantastic — we are very grateful to them.
'It was very generous. They didn't have to do it, it just shows there are some people out there who care.'
Six members of the staff at the shop undertook the daredevil descent — some in tears, one who loved it and some swearing never to do it again.
Diane said: 'We felt cancer is such a horrible thing, we've all had contact with it, but it's something everyone can help fight.'
The £86.80 cheque from Tavistock and District Funeral Service brought the total raised to £800 — but money is still coming in from generous customers at the shop.