Teenager Laura Sexton was distraught when more than £190 of charity money she had raised was stolen from her home in Lacock.

The 17-year-old has been raising money for Children’s Hospice South West during the past two months, collecting sponsors for a 15,000ft skydive she is due to do on Sunday, and had raised more than £400.

She was devastated when her mother Elaine Sexton phoned her last week at Millfield School in Somerset, where she is taking her A-levels, to say there had been a burglary at the Old Rectory guest house which her parents run, and more than £1,000 had been taken.

Laura said: “My mum told me not to panic but £195.50 of the charity money had been taken from a purse that was kept in the office.

“I was so upset because so many members of my family and loads of my friends had donated what they could to my cause and I felt terrible for them.”

Her mother said that it seemed that the burglar had been hiding in some bushes on Thursday evening watching the office. After everybody had gone to bed at around midnight the offender smashed the office window, took the small safe, which had money and passports in, knocking over a pile of documents in the process and finding the coin purse.

She said: “He had obviously taken the cash that was in the purse and left all the cheques. He must have known that it was for charity or something because it was in small loose change.

“The burglar then went into the living room and took my purse and my husband’s wallet. Somebody stole my handbag from the guesthouse three weeks ago and I think it may be the same person.

“It is so callous to take somebody’s hard-earned money and to take charity money is even worse.”

The family have now installed more security lighting and cameras.

Mrs Sexton wants to reassure people who donated money to the skydive, which was postponed from April 18 after a technical fault with the plane, that she will make up all of the charity money stolen.

Laura said: “The delay had meant I could raise more money but now this has happened.

“I think it is horrible that somebody would take money that is meant to be going towards a children’s charity, who need it so much more.”

Anyone with information on the theft can contact Pc Mandie Ball from Corsham Police on 0845 408 7000.