A charity has condemned a thief who stole donations from outside its thrift store for “taking directly from cancer patients and the services we provide”.

Terri Durrant, a manager at the Pals shop, spoke to The Royal Gazette after the cancer care support organisation reported on social media that a man had been caught on camera taking goods from the charity’s donation bin on Point Finger Road at about 12.30am on April 13.

Ms Durrant said: “He took a bag and box out, started sorting through it, puts a baseball cap on, hears something behind him and crouches so nobody can see what he’s doing. Then he took the bag and box and off he went.”

She believes the same person was caught on camera stealing new shoes and boxes from the donation bin months ago.

Pals condemned the theft on Facebook last week. “Our thrift store exists for one reason: to support cancer patients and their families across Bermuda,” it said.

“Every single item donated helps fund care, support services and hope for those who need it most.

“It is deeply upsetting to share that we continue to have individuals taking donated items outside our shop after hours — this is not just ‘taking items’, it is taking directly from cancer patients and the services we provide.”

Ms Durrant said other thieves had stolen from the bin but had not been caught on camera.

She explained: “It’s very time-consuming to go through the camera but I’m sure if I look between midnight and 5am, I’d find it happening more often than we think.

“When I go on a weekday and pull a bag out, you can tell someone has been in there and seen what is valuable that they can take and walk away with.”

Ms Durrant added: “We always try and advise people not to leave valuables in the bin, wait until we’re open so we can receive it and take it somewhere.

“People steal from within the shop too, we have things priced at a certain amount, they take the tags off, bring them to the front and change prices.”

Grace Petty, the manager of The Barn, also said she was aware of customers swapping prices on some items at the store on Devon Spring Road.

She said in December that 2025 was an “exceptionally busy year” for the shop operated by the Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda, which she attributed to the island’s high cost of living.

Ms Petty told the Gazette on Saturday: “You have people who are in need and instead of addressing it with a manager [so] that we might be able to adjust the price while not giving it away, it’s easier for them to try and take it without paying for it.

“At the end of the day it hurts the organisations themselves as it affects money that could be given back to those charities rather than any individual person.”

Ms Durrant said last week’s theft had not been reported to the police but the charity would start doing so if the incidents continue.

She noted: “The Bermuda Red Cross has a lock-bin but they basically only take clothing, so you could drop it in.

“Because we take china, housewares, toys and everything else, it has to be an open bin.”

Maria Duffy, a manager at the Bermuda Red Cross thrift shop, said no one could steal their donations because only staff could unlock the drop box.

She explained: “We always have somebody on the floor monitoring, occasionally a customer might tell you that they think something untoward is going on but you don’t want to make false accusations.”

Ms Duffy has also noticed more customers at the store within the past year. “We have a good core of regular shoppers but we do see new faces. Thrifting is quite a trend at the moment,” she said.