CALLOUS vandals have left a charity counting a cost after wrecking a hospice trailer unit and stealing a generator.

The Iain Rennie Hospice at Home, which provides specialist nursing care for terminally ill patients in Buckinghamshire, is facing a bill for hundreds of pounds following the incident on Wednesday.

Appeals director for the charity Robert Breakwell said: "This is a major blow as we simply do not have the money to spend on repairs to the mobile information unit."

The unit provides a vital link for the hospice in the community.

Vandals cut through a fence and broke heavy chains in order to steal the generator, causing damage to the hospice's mobile unit in the process. The unit was in Chesham having work carried out free of charge by a local company.

Mr Breakwell added: "Because we have no hospice building, the unit is an important link with local communities as it visits over 40 events during the summer months.

"Even if we can make an insurance claim for the generator, we will still be faced with repair bills and we are about to start on the busiest period of the year.

"All of the signwriting and exhibition work has been carried out by a local firm and they were making some last-minute improvements for the coming season when this happened."

Iain Rennie nurses help patients with terminal or life threatening illness who wish to be cared for in their own home. They cared for more than 607 patients in the year to March 31 this year.

Anyone wishing to make a donation can telephone 01442 890222 or donate on-line at www.irhh.org