Heartbroken volunteers at Herne Bay’s St John Ambulance centre say they will have to replace almost £10,000 worth of equipment after thieves broke into their base.

Police have launched an appeal for witnesses following the break-in, which saw two defibrillators, a pair of first aid kits and a long board stolen.

Bosses at the charity, which is based at the Brigade Hall in New Street, say the equipment was “life-saving” gear.

Unit manager George Tunnadine said: “We are a charity – we rely on the public for funding and we run on donations, so this will set us back.

“The whole group is really disappointed that people would want to take from a charity and we are very upset about losing the equipment.”

Police spokesman Amanda Wills says the centre was broken into some time between 10pm on Thursday, November 17, and 7.45pm on Tuesday, November 22.

St John district manager Dave Amos said: “It is genuinely life-saving equipment and unfortunately people have taken it.

“It is really annoying because we spend a lot of time and effort getting donations from the public and invest that money in our equipment.

“Someone has got to know something.

“This is not small gear, so it is really frustrating.”

Mr Amos added that the charity is looking for more members to sign up.

“We are reliant on volunteers and if anyone is interested they can find us online,” he said.

“We have both youth and adult volunteers, but are especially after more adult volunteers at the moment.

“A full-range of activities are available – and we cover out-of-pocket expenses and provide training.”

Police ask anyone who saw people acting suspiciously in the area during those dates, or who has since been offered similar items for sale, to contact them on 01843 222289, quoting reference ZY/42133/16.

For more information on the charity, visit the website.