A fundraising grandma is at her wits’ end with thieves stealing from her charity garden sales while her back is turned.

Over the last 40 years Barbara Hatton and her husband Graham have handed over cheques totalling £100,000 to various good causes.

One of the ways they raise cash is by selling items including clothes, furniture and other knick-knacks from their drive in Walderslade Road, Chatham.

The 79-year-old says she makes it clear with numerous signs that they are for sale, and that the proceeds go to charity.

Most recently, on Saturday, August 3, a pair of wooden bar stools were taken while she was pegging out her washing.

Weeks before a Tiffany lamp went missing from the stall and, in another incident, brand-new clothes were taken only for the coat hangers to be returned a day later.

The grandmother-of-five says this is sadly not a new problem.

Altogether over the years there have been more than 20 incidents, which the police have been unable to investigate as her CCTV cameras do not look out onto the pavement.

In 2014 brazen thieves even made off with a fridge that she was planning to sell for £100.

But Mrs Hatton, who has lived in Medway for more than 50 years, says she has to leave the items at the end of the drive so that people can see what she is selling.

She has been collecting cash for a range of charities for more than 40 years with her husband Graham by hosting garden sales every Saturday and selling antiques.

They also spent five years putting on continental breakfasts at Chatham Salvation Army.

Altogether they have donated more than £100,000 to Demelza, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex and the RNLI to name a few.

The grandmother says she is “angry and upset” people have stolen goods, knowing the funds are destined for these causes.

She has even resorted to chaining items to her gates.

She says these incidents are “not misunderstandings” and that the “thieves know what they are doing”.

Mrs Hatton told KentOnline: “I have plenty of signage up to say that my goods are for sale and yet people are still stealing from me. It isn't right.

“I would ask people to be more considerate and understanding about all the charities that we raise funds for here, not to steal.

“We have chained things to our gates but they still take things. We have a pair of trainers that we tied to our gate and they were taken.

“I pray with all my heart that these people who decide to steal from me will be more considerate instead of stealing what is not theirs.

“They aren’t just stealing from us but stealing from the charities.

“I won’t let this put me off raising money for good causes and I am determined to keep on raising money, although it is getting harder for us as we get older.”