17th March 2010

BRIDPORT: Police condemn �despicable� thief

Fundraiser has money stolen from collection bucket

by Paul Crompton

A BRIDPORT man was arrested for stealing a donation pot from a former serviceman currently pushing a freezer around the country for charity.

Former Royal Navy rating Matthew Hollox, 50, is walking around Britain with a deep freezer to raise money for the National Memorial Arboretum and other armed services charities.

Mr Hollox said he was attempting the gruelling walk to repay the Navy, which had helped him when he returned to “Civvy Street” suffering from psychological problems.

The cold-hearted thief stole around £40 from the bright orange collection bucket after Mr Hollox left his fridge outside the library to search for accommodation at around 5:15pm on Friday, March 13th.

The 25-year-old thief made off down South Street before turning left into Church Street. He has since been released on police bail while enquires continue.

Mr Hollox, who served in the Royal Navy for nine years including a spell in the Falklands, is attempting to walk the 3,000 miles in 300 days.

Mr Hollox said: “The Navy helped me get back on my feet financially and this is my way of paying them back.”

He started his walk in his hometown of Nottingham on January 12th and is aiming to complete his “monumental” journey on Armistice Day (November 11th).

Sergeant John Osbourne of Weymouth Police said this was the lowest form of crime anyone could commit.

“Unfortunately we do have thefts of charity boxes but I think the word despicable sums this up,” he said.

“This man is making a very worthy effort to raise money for a memorial to our troops and someone thinks it is right to just go out and help themselves to their collection bucket.”

However, a distraught Mr Hollox received a hero’s welcome at The Nag’s Head, Lyme Regis, where he stayed on Saturday and Sunday evening.

He was greeted by Royal British Legion members, including branch chairman Ken Whetlor and vice-chairman and events organiser David Manners.

He said he had chosen to do the walk pushing a deep freeze cabinet because it was a convenient way of transporting “all his worldly goods”.

PICTURE: Matthew Hollox is raising money for armed services charities by pushing a deep freezer around the country