A child's toy - probably the only one of its kind - has been stolen from the window of a town centre charity shop.

The theft of the hand-carved wooden rocking motorbike has devastated staff at Oxfam, Sheerness.

The toy, which is a replica of a motorbike and similar in height to a traditional rocking horse, was taken from inside the window of the High Street store last Tuesday afternoon.

Then on Thursday an antique sewing machine, up for sale for £100, was also stolen from the front window.

The rocking motorbike was hand-crafted from various types of wood, varnished, and complete with cylinders, saddle, pedals and crossbar.

It had been in the shop for less than 24 hours and was stolen within an hour of going on display with a £25 price tag.

It was donated by its creator, who had made it for his children.

Shop manager Mick Constable said: "It was absolutely beautiful, wonderful, and would have taken months to have made.

"I have never seen anything like it before and there won't be another like it again; it was a one-off, a work of art."

Mr Constable said he had been left "devastated and extremely distressed" by the theft, particularly in light of Oxfam's appeal in the wake of East Africa's famine crisis which has left more than 10 million people in desperate need of food and water.

"I don't know how anybody could steal it and give it to their children knowing where it has come from," he said.

"They are just taking money from children who are suffering.

Oxfam needs the money more than they ever will.

The culprits are believed to be two women, possibly mother and daughter, accompanied by a child, who were seen by a customer carrying the toy soon afterwards in the High Street.

The sewing machine may be of German origin and probably dates from between 1910-1920.

Mr Constable said it was heavy and was either carried away by a man or put into a shopping trolley or pram sometime between 10.30am and 11.30am last Thursday.

• Anyone with information is asked to call Kent Police on 01622 690690, quoting incident ref 26-092.