A COMMUNITY cafe in Newton Abbot has been targeted by thieves.

Our Pavilion cafe at Forde Park was broken into at about 4am on Saturday.

The charity-run cafe, which opened in 2021, had already been running on a virtually cashless basis but since the weekend's break-in, it will now operate totally by card.

Organisers said the safe had been broken and the cash box taken.

But they explained: ‘As we are trying to go cashless the loss is less than it could have been. 

‘However we have made the decision we are now completely cashless, no exceptions. 

‘It’s been a sad start to the day.’

Supporters have described the break-in as ‘despicable’.

In May, retired GP Mark Clarvis, one of the founders of the cafe, won a Big Thank You award from BBC’s The One Show.

The cafe opened in a disused cricket pavilion in 2021 following a £50,000 fund raising campaign.