A BLACK tie charity event in Chippenham turned into a nightmare for the couple who organised it last week when thieves stole £600 raised in advanced ticket sales.

John 50, and Debbie Williams 48, organised the fundraising event at the Neeld last Saturday (April 13) to celebrate 15 years in business and to support the British Heart Foundation.

“The money was locked away at our office,” said Debbie, “but on Friday night thieves broke in and trashed the place and took the £600 in cash for the heart charity.”

Undeterred but feeling “devastated” the couple picked up the pieces and went ahead with the celebration in the Neeld raising another £3,000 for the charity.

“On the night we held a silent auction, there was a live band and disco,” she said, “with 130 guests all paying to attend making it an amazing evening despite the break-in.”

Debbie said they were called on Saturday morning by a neighbouring business on the Bumpers Farm Industrial Estate to their offices at John Williams Heating Services as a door had been forced.

“The thieves smashed the CCTV, the computer monitors and the hard drive of the computer so we had no images,” she said, “police came along to do forensics but we have no idea who did it.”

The family firm that employs 28 staff chose to mark 15 years in business with the fundraise following the death of John’s father Steve from heart failure.