Edinburgh crime: Police hunting thief who stole charity box from Edinburgh Sheriff Court

The box full of money was taken from the canteen

A callous thief is being hunted by police after a charity tin was stolen from one of Scotland’s busiest court buildings.

The thief snatched the tin full of coins from the canteen at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last week. The empty charity collection box was subsequently found dumped in a nearby toilet bin by cleaners on Monday afternoon.

Police and court security staff using the building’s CCTV system have now launched an investigation in a bid to find the culprit.

The charity box was stolen from Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

A court source said: “You just couldn't make this up - who would steal a charity tin from a busy court building? What an idiot. They have grabbed the tin full of coins from the counter of the public canteen and a cleaner has found it later, empty and stashed in a toilet bin.

“Apart from there being police officers and security staff everywhere, there are CCTV cameras covering almost every inch of the inside of the building. It is just a matter if time until the thief is caught.”

A Scottish Courts and Tribunal Services spokesperson said: “We can confirm an appeal charity tin was stolen from the public canteen at Edinburgh Sheriff Court and has been reported to the police.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “On Monday, 18 December, 2023, we were made aware of the theft of a charity collection at a premises on Chambers Street, Edinburgh. Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”