KIND-HEARTED shop staff have vowed to continue to help the needy, despite their charitable efforts being taken advantage of by callous thieves.

Police recently advised the team at Darlington’s Guru Boutique to take down a rail offering free coats to those in need after thieves ignored a sign saying ‘If you need a coat, take one’, instead filling carrier bags and making off with several at a time.

A large number of homeless and vulnerable people benefited after staff asked customers and passersby to hang their unwanted coats on a rail outside the Blackwellgate shop, with anyone in need invited to take one.

Earlier this week, Guru’s owner Beryl Hankin took to social media to announce the end of the scheme, saying: “After a phone conversation with Darlington Police, we have decided to discontinue the free coats and warm clothing initiative.

“A gang of people have decided to target our town and have been taking all the coats and not leaving any for those genuinely in need.

“The gang have started coming by every day and have been trying to take several at a time of the best of the garments.

“This is very sad and impacts on those who are really in need of help.”

Defiant Ms Hankin said the coat rack will return next winter as she insisted the thieves would not succeed in dampening Darlington’s generous spirit.

The 73-year-old, who has owned Guru for more than 45 years, said she would not be put off in her efforts to help those in need, adding: “We went into this with our eyes open and what has happened is not unexpected – this is the real world and if you put something free outside, eventually someone will take advantage.

“We just did what we could until that happened – it’s a shame but in the time it was there a lot of genuine people benefited from it.”

She added: “The main message I want to get over is that we shouldn’t stop helping people because of a few bad apples, we just have to be aware that unfortunately bad apples do exist.

“We are still seeing this as a positive thing as it helped so many people through the coldest months – it made a difference.

“I hope this won’t put people off trying to help others because it was a positive thing and it worked.”

All coats donated will now be passed to other good causes around Darlington.