A CHARITY is more than £2,000 worse off after being targeted by metal thieves for the second time this winter.

Peaceful Place, in Rochford, which provides care and support for younger people with dementia and their families, had a catalytic converter stolen from one of its two minibuses.

The same bus had the device, which converts toxic exhaust emissions into non-toxic substances, stolen in the first week of October and it cost the charity £1,000 to have it replaced.

Celia Riley, 54, the charity’s fundraising manager, admitted her Christmas spirit had dipped since the theft.

She said: “I would like to extend peace on Earth and goodwill to all men – except to the lousy thief who stole a second catalytic converter from one of our charity’s two minibuses in as many months.”

The buses are used every day to collect vulnerable people, who live in and around Southend, from their homes and take them to Peaceful Place for a day of stimulating activities and entertainment. The buses are also used to take small groups out for the day to local museums, parks, the cinema and restaurants.

Mrs Riley said: “We cannot operate without minibuses. Thanks to the thief, who probably waited a respectable time for us to restore the minibus before striking again, we now have to lay out another £1,000 of hard-earned funds that we could well do without.

“No doubt by now the catalytic converter has been sold for scrap for a tiny percentage of what it costs us to replace it.”

While the charity waits for a replacement converter, it is having to pay out £80 a day to temporarily hire a second bus.

Mrs Riley said the charity, in Dalys Road, Rochford, would be hugely grateful for a donation from a “Christmas angel”.

A police spokeswoman said officers are investigating the theft of a catalytic converter from a Fiat Ducato van between 5pm on Friday, December 2, and 8am on Tuesday, December 6.

Anyone with information regarding the theft can call PC James Stewart, at Rayleigh police station, on 101.