BIG-HEARTED traders and customers have rallied together to replace cash stolen from a café.

Ginny Starns, 49, has owned the Potatoe Shack cafe in Walton High Street for six years and was left shocked after an opportunist thief snatched a blue cash box containing about £70 worth of takings.

Ginny said: “It was taken from the serving hatch.

“They lent over the counter and grabbed the tin, even though it was not in sight or particularly easy to reach.”

It was a second set back for Ginny after the café suffered serious damage in a fire in 2015.

But fellow traders and friends rallied round and replaced the missing money.

Jo-Anne Martin, owner of Jo-jo’s 1 cafe and gift shop, presented Ginny with more than £50 in donations along with a heartfelt card from generous customers and traders.

Ginny said she was overwhelmed by their kindness.

She said: “Jo-Anne decided to go round the shops and do a collection for us.

“She then brought in a lovely card which they had all signed with the collection inside – it was so touching.”

Jo-Anne, 53, who has had her shop on High Street for just over a year, said: “Ginny works so hard and she’s the one who does the most for charity.

“We heard about what had happened and wanted to support the community as sometimes there’s not a lot of support out there.

“The donations went on for about two days before we presented it to her.

“Everyone wrote in the card – shopkeepers and customers as well.

“I think that shops should stick up and support each other and I just wanted to do a good thing.”

Jo-Anne, whose shop is a few doors down, delivered the cash to Ginny at the Potatoe Shack in person.

“Ginny was really shocked, which was lovely to see,” Jo-Anne added.

“If something like this happened to me, I would like someone to do that for me. It’s all about community spirit.

“There’s sometimes rivalry between shopkeepers on the High Street so it’s just nice to help each other out,”

Ginny added : “I was very down to know that somebody had taken the money, but it was so touching what Jojo did and it made me feel great to be a part of the community.

“It was just so lovely and I know that people care.”

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call Clacton Police on 101.