A Hartlepool charity which provides support for homeless people has been vandalised in a suspected "break in".

The staff of LilyAnne's Wellbeing café were "devastated" to find that someone had tried to force their way in through the reinforced glass.

Trevor Sherwood, co-creator of the charity, described turning up at 9am and discovering the damage.

He said: "We arrived at 9am to find someone had tried to force their way into reinforced glass.

"It must have taken some force to kick a hole in the door.

"We immediately reported the incident to the police and would like to thank them for their support."

(Image: LilyAnne's Cafe)Angela Arnold, fellow co-creator, said: "Members of the community have come forward to help cover the cost of the damage this morning and kindly donated to us.

"We'd like to thank the local community for helping us out."

In a social media post, they emphasised that they were still there for those they support.

It stated: "We are devastated. This morning the team turned up to the coffee shop to discover an attempted break-in.

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"One that has taken some force to get through the thickness of the glass we use.

"Despite everything we do to help the community there are some people who feel they have the right to target a charity that supports the community.

"We will still be here for those we support, despite everything we are dealing with today."