CCTV: Man steals bushfire donations from Albion Park’s Oaks Hotel

Police are on the hunt for a man filmed stealing a tin full of bushfire donations from a pub in Shellharbour. See the footage.

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Police have been left disgusted by the behaviour of an alleged thief, who broke into an Illawarra pub and stole a tin full of donations for the NSW Rural Fire Service.

Officers were called to Albion Park’s Oaks Hotel around 3am on Tuesday morning, after a glass door at the back of the property was smashed open, triggering a security alarm.

CCTV footage captured the man run toward the bar and snatch two RFS donation tins from the counter, before taking off back through the smashed door.

The back doors of The Oaks Hotel were smashed.

Detectives from Lake Illawarra are now on the hunt for the man, urging anyone with information about the “deplorable” act to come forward.

“To target what is obviously for charity, for the people in our community in desperate need at the moment, its really low and despicable,” Lake Illawarra Police District Acting Inspector Matt Brophey said.

“I would actually like to appeal to the better nature of this person to return these funds so they can be given to those people in need.”

At the time of the incident, the man was wearing an aqua hooded jumper, blue jeans and black and white Nike shoes.

The man runs from the bar after grabbing the donation tins.

Insp Brophey said police were working to identify and arrest the man, who’s alleged acts could impact some of the community’s most vulnerable.

“We have seen our community rally together in recent times to support those in need, so to see an act like this is extremely disappointing,” he said.

“We will continue to investigate, and we are urging anyone with information that could lead to legal action to get in touch.”