Boy, 5, who had money and his stock of eggs and cheese STOLEN from his honesty shop is inundated with support after BBC antiques star tweets that the thieves should be ‘ashamed’
- Harry Clare, five, from Malvern, Worcestershire sells eggs and cheese from an honesty shop at his parents’ glamping site
- Family noticed his money and stock had all been stolen on Tuesday
- BBC antiques expert Philip Serrell shared his plight on Twitter, and the family have been inundated with offers of financial help
- Many who saw it were outraged someone would steal from a rural honesty shop
The family of a five-year-old boy who had his honesty shop stolen – including goods he was selling and the money he’d made – have received hundreds of offers of help after news of it went viral on social media.
Antiques expert Philip Serrell, who appears on BBC antiques shows, shared the plight of Harry Clare, five, after hearing about how his honesty shop had been raided.
The boy sells eggs and other dairy items including goats milk – and even soap – from his parents glamping site, Rosebud Meadow, in Malvern, Worcestershire.
Harry Clare, five, from Malvern, Worcestershire sells eggs and cheese from an honesty shop at his parents’ glamping site
On Tuesday, Harry’s family noticed that the budding shopkeeper’s supplies had been taken, along with the takings.
Auctioneer Serrell shared the family’s dismay on social media, writing on Twitter: ‘This is Harry – he is five and runs a little honesty shop near to my Saleroom.
‘Someone has stolen his money and his stock. They will probably be too ashamed to return either, but if they get to read this I hope it costs them a few nights sleep.’
Serrell saw his tweet re-tweeted by famous faces including Rev Richard Coles and it’s now been liked by almost 24,000 people.
BBC antiques star Philip Serrell posted about the theft on Twitter, and more than 23,000 people have now seen the tweet
The little boy’s mother, Rosie Clare, told the BBC her son was a budding shopkeeper and they have been touched by the response, saying: ‘We’ve had people from all the way down in Devon and Scotland and a lady in New York who has sent him a message.’
Many of those getting in touch were outraged that someone would raid a child’s honesty shop.
@Cindy46282686 wrote: ‘Who would do this??? I’m gutted for this little boy not about the money but that he is forced to already be confronted with the s*** of society. If I could send little Harry a note of encouragement from Australia I certainly would. Sorry little chap.’
@ghostlytom penned: ‘Poor Harry! Apart from the eggs what does Harry sell? If anything can be posted I’d buy it, covering post and package of course.’
@BILDERBERG_GP added: ‘Some people have no values whatsoever. They won’t lose any sleep. They’ll go back to see if there is more to steal. Little Harry should keep going. He’s a star.’
On Wednesday afternoon, Serrell said the family had been thrilled at all the responses and he asked that people donate something to a children’s charity as a gesture of kindness instead of giving the family money.
He wrote: ‘I have suggested that rather than send money it would be great if people could give something – whatever – to a children’s charity local to them and then record for Harry how much has been given – we are thinking about how! #AGiftfromHarry – please do nothing yet. Details later.’