An eight-year-old girl who learned a poppy appeal collection tin had been stolen from her favourite chippy set about fundraising to replace the cash.

Millie Timmins, of Old Coulsdon, was so appalled by the theft of the Royal British Legion charity box from Danny's fish-and-chip shop in Coulsdon Road that she decided to make amends.

She rallied friends, teachers and parents at her school, St Annes Catholic Primary in Banstead, and even chipped in £5 of her pocket money before proudly delivering the proceeds - £52.52 - to the shop's owner last Friday.

Danny Tefvik, 45, said the stolen box had been "full to the brim" with donations when the thief ran in and took it from his shop on November 8.

Millie, who lives in Tollers Lane with mum Jo, 32, dad Steven, 34, and sister Izzie, six, was "disgusted" when she heard about the theft a few days later.

She said: "I felt really upset. I just felt like, why would someone do that? I wanted the soldiers to have some money, because it's not fair. Everybody was very supportive."

She said Mr Tefvik, whose shop was crowned the best chippy in Britain earlier this year, was "speechless" when she gave him the cash two days later.

Mr Tefvik, who runs the shop with his wife and son, said: "It's absolutely amazing. She was in here when the police were in here and had asked her mum what was going on.

"Then she turned up and said, 'I've got something for you.' 

"It brought a tear to my eye. I don't mind saying it choked me up. At eight years old I was too busy worrying about what sweets I was going to eat." 

Millie's mum - whose younger daughter also chipped in 43p - said: "I feel really proud of her. She has done it all off her own back and done something really nice for charity after something so bad happened. She is a lovely little girl, they both are.

"Millie had been watching Remembrance Sunday on TV and we explained to her what it was all about, about soldiers dying for our country.

"When just found out about the theft she said she was going to raise some money for the soldiers, so she did."

"Everybody wanted to donate because of the awful thing that the boy had done."

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Mr Tefvik bought the girls teddy bears to say thanks

Police on Thursday released CCTV footage of the theft in a bid to find the thief, who Mr Tefvik described as a "scumbag". 

He added: "There is never a right time to steal from charity, but this is just the wrong time. This is just low, especially with the 100 years. It is the lowest of the low.

"I have been collecting for the poppies for 25 years and I have never chained it down. Obviously I am going to now."

Mr Tefvik said the box usually held about £80 to £100 when full, but that he had received floods of donations totalling more than £300 since customers heard about the theft.

Anyone with information can contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 quoting reference number 163978.