A HEARTLESS thief who stole a poppy appeal box is being hunted by police after he was caught on CCTV.

This week, volunteers from the Leytonstone branch of the Royal British went around the borough to gather up the collection tins for the final count.

When they arrived at the Tesco Express store in Leytonstone High Road, they discovered the entire box had been taken.

While viewing the CCTV, the police, the store manager and the secretary of the RBL watched in anger as a man could be seen clearly standing by the counter, carefully removing the box.

“He was wearing a baseball cap backwards when he came in,” Ray Gross, Leytonstone RBL secretary said.

“He slowly turned it around when he got to the counter.

“There was nobody by the till at that time.

“The CCTV shows him standing there for a little while, fiddling with the tag, and then he just sort of lifts the box and takes it away.

“I have been doing this since ’65 and I have never seen anything like it.”

Police have taken the CCTV footage and are attempting to identify the man, described as a young, black male.

The store’s manager said the box had been filling up, estimating there could have been as much as £200 in it.

Mr Gross said: “It is really devastating for the people who benefit from that money. You wouldn’t believe how much £200 can help.

“And it’s upsetting for the people who give up their time from the Legion, who work hard to raise the money, and of course the shop owners.

“The manager was really upset.”

Police have decided not to share the CCTV at this stage of the investigation.

An officer said: “The offence happened between Thursday 12 November and Monday 16 November.

“No arrests at this time. Enquires continue.”