A charity shop manager in Okehampton is ‘saddened’ after a cashmere cardigan was taken from a rail without being paid for.

The ‘beautiful and expensive’ designer-label green cardigan was taken from the shop on Tuesday, September 15, and volunteers are pleading for the item to be returned.

Manager of the Hospiscare shop, Debbie Brimacombe, said: “Please, if you are that person and are reading this, have a conscience and please return the item to us so that we can sell it, to continue raising funds for Hospiscare, which is what the donor had intended.”

Debbie added: “We receive some wonderful donations into our Hospiscare shop from very generous donors who appreciate the value of Hospiscare, which raises funds to support people in the community by giving end-of-life support and care to patients.

“Our shop, and others across Exeter, East and Mid Devon are here to raise vital funds to help pay for those nurses and support staff.

“This is why I’m so upset and saddened that someone thought it was ok to come into our shop and help themselves to a beautiful cashmere cardigan from our rail without paying for it.”

The green cardigan was on sale for £50, which is way above the usual price label in the Okehampton charity shop and ‘it’s an awful lot of money for us to lose’, said Debbie.

“We all know that times are hard at the moment, but stealing from a charity shop has saddened all our volunteers”, Debbie said.

Shoplifting is a real issue, Debbie explained, adding that volunteers in other charity shops have mentioned finding empty coat hangers too across the country. Office for National Statistics data or 2025 revealed record highs for retail crime.

Debbie said clothing items needing more protection from theft are displayed in the window because staff can keep an eye on the stock: “Now, for security reasons, we’ve put the more expensive items in the window, but it’s sad, as although times are tough for many and we understand that, taking something from a charity shop is not the way to go about things.

“Most people choosing to donate to this Hospiscare shop have had a relative who’s used the hospice, they are often emotionally connected and want to tell us their story.

“Okehampton’s Hospiscare charity shop has about 13 volunteers, who’ve all been left upset by the cardigan being taken.”

On another note, Debbie added: “We are always looking for new volunteers to join our lovely team here. We have a variety of roles such as steaming, sorting or working on the till. We’ve a range of ages volunteering, if anyone would like to support the shop in that way, get in touch.”

Hospiscare is a Devon charity supporting people across the heart of the county, from Exeter to Okehampton — and in many towns in that area, a Hospiscare charity shop will be raising vital funds so the charity can provide specialist palliative care.

The community can support Hospiscare by donating, fundraising or visiting the shops or volunteering, the charity has been supporting the community since it was established in 1982.