A THIEF has ripped a donations box from the Lake District Holocaust Project off the wall at Windermere Library on Friday.

The library hosts a permanent exhibition about the Jewish orphans who arrived in the Lake District in 1945, and the donations box was attached to the wall in the exhibition.

Trevor Avery, organiser of The Lake District Holocaust Project said: "This has upset many people because the donations are contributions made by visitors towards Another Space, the education charity that organises the project.

"It is sadly ironic that the work we do involves research into the connection between the Lake District and these child Holocaust survivors, and then we use the research to bring Holocaust education into schools and to young people.

"Teaching about tolerance, inclusion and mutual respect seems especially apt in these circumstances."

"The donations box is emptied very regularly, and we are installing a dedicated camera to cover the exhibition".