A charity box containing about £80 of donations has been stolen from KJM Salons in the Hart Shopping Centre in Fleet.

Salon owner Kerry Mather was horrified that someone could stoop so low.

"I was really disappointed because we had loads of fundraising going on and our clients were really supportive," she said.

The heavy box filled with coins was stolen on Tuesday.

The money was being raised for the St Thomas’ Lupus Trust at St Thomas’ Hospital in London.

The charity is particularly special to the staff at KJM because one of the stylists at the salon, Lisa Rylett, suffers from Lupus disease.

It is an auto-immune disease that attacks healthy cells by tricking the body into thinking something is wrong.

One of the main features is that it causes extreme fatigue. It is thought the disease might be hereditary, but little is known about what causes it.

Mrs Mather said: "We are going to keep raising money for Lupus and hope to triple the £80 that was already in the box."

Miss Rylett, 22, had planned to count up the money and send it to the Lupus Trust alongside profits from a charity jewellery stall she ran at the Fleet Christmas festivities.

She plans to redouble her efforts after the setback.

"It’s just devastating. I know how much people need the medical attention and the help because once you’re diagnosed with lupus, it’s actually a lifelong disease," she said.

She described the actions of the thief as "low and horrible".

"I did not expect in my home town someone could come bare-faced in and steal," she said.

Miss Rylett said the salon would no longer keep the charity box at the front of the shop, but it would continue to collect for the St Thomas’ Lupus Trust.

A police spokesman said: "We have had the incident reported to us. It happened between 3.30pm and 5pm on Tuesday November 25 and was reported to us later that night."

He urged anyone with information to contact police on 0845 0454545.

Anyone who wants to donate to the St Thomas’ Lupus Trust can do so by writing to Louise Coote, Lupus Unit, Gassiot House, St Thomas’ Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, or by popping into the salon.