Police looking for two suspects after money raised to buy scooter for child with cancer was stolen in Croydon

Detectives have released CCTV footage of two suspects they would like to speak to after money raised to buy a scooter for a child with cancer was stolen.

At around 1:30am on Friday March 9 the suspects broke into the rear fire door of Little Lambs Soft Play Centre in Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon.

Once inside they broke into the safe and took a quantity of cash and money raised for a little boy with cancer.

The mother of the boy, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “My 10-year-old boy was diagnosed with Adrenocortical Carcinoma in October last year. A routine scan found an abnormal growth on his lung.

“Following surgery to remove it and an intensive chemotherapy treatment programme, we have seen a boy with bags of energy and life suffering physically and emotionally. But give that boy a scooter, and his old self returns.

“We are saving up for a scooter of his own so that he can go out with his friends and play as he did before he was diagnosed.”

Suspect 1 is described as a white man seen in CCTV with a bar in his hand wearing a light hooded top with white draw strings and bottoms into his dark socks and trainers.

Suspect 2 is described as a white man carrying a large metal bar in his hand wearing a light hooded top and bottoms into his socks and trainers.

Detective Constable Nina Stanley from Croydon CID said: “This is an appalling crime where money raised to help a poorly child was stolen, along with business takings.

“The child’s family and the local community are devastated by this selfish act and it has made a lot of people angry.”

If you can assist police with their enquiries, call Croydon CID on 020 3276 2228 or 101, or tweet @Metcc. To call anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.