A THIEF stole charity gift boxes made up of toys, clothing, stationery and toiletries destined for needy children.

The four shoeboxes – covered in festive wrapping paper and containing presents such as winter accessories, pencils, colouring books and toothbrushes – were in a car having been made for disadvantaged children who had never received a Christmas gift before.

A batch had already been given to Kings Church Wigan on Upper George Street, Tyldesley, as part of Operation Christmas Child.

The four shoeboxes were stolen from the back seat of 20-year-old nursery nurse Maeve Owen's car while it was parked overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, in the car park of The White Horse pub in Westhoughton after a door lock had been damaged.

Her sister Megan Owen, 25, said: "She collects lots of donations from people, like hats and gloves, and donates the boxes to Operation Christmas Child.

"She has always done it. We are a Christian family and we all go to church, and we have done it as a family for however long it has been going, 20 years or so."

Kings Church Wigan is the family’s church.

Maeve had already packed and wrapped 20 boxes with donations sourced through colleagues at the Blackrod pre-school where she works and had handed them in at charity collection points.

The stolen boxes had branded labels on them which indicated whether they were intended for a boy or a girl and for which age range they were suitable.

Megan said: "My sister is not one to put things on Facebook, but the first thing she mentioned was how upset she was that a thief had taken all the stuff out of the car.

"When I asked her about it, they had taken her purse and passport, stuff like that, but she was more worried about the presents than the purse.

"They don't look like normal Christmas presents ¬– they were shoeboxes wrapped up with big stickers on them.

"People had given her bits and bobs and she had made up the boxes herself, and what annoys her most is that there is nothing expensive in them to sell on, although they would be invaluable to somebody who hasn't got anything.

"They go to children who have never had a Christmas present before.

"They all had Operation Christmas Child leaflets inside with a £3 donation in it.

"There's no need for the thief to keep them."

Operation Christmas Child has been run by Christian charity Samaritan's Purse International since 1990 and has distributed shoebox-based gift boxes filled with toys, hygiene items and school supplies to disadvantaged youngsters all over the world.

Anyone with information about the gift boxes theft should call police on 101.