The Prince and Princess of Wales have helped keep a London food bank going with a ‘surprise’ donation after thieves raided its warehouse

Staff arriving at the Southwark Foodbank in Peckham on Monday morning were devastated to find shelves previously stocked with thousands of pounds worth of goods had been emptied.

William and Kate donated £3,500 to charity Pecan after hearing about the theft, which will cover the costs of the goods stolen and the damage caused.

Peter Edwards, chief executive of Pecan, said: ‘This surprise donation by the Prince and Princess of Wales – following such a difficult spell for their family – underlines their kindness and decency.

‘After serious ill health their first thought was of how to help others.

‘Their generosity will inspire staff and volunteers to redouble Pecan’s efforts to alleviate poverty in London.’

Since the burglary, the food bank has received an ‘overwhelming reaction’ from the community, Mr Edwards said.

He added: ‘Staff and volunteers discovered the theft on Monday morning, they were very distressed at what they saw, which included the aftermath of the burglars forcing their way in the warehouse and the damage that they caused.

‘They were met with empty shelves.

‘We’ve had an overwhelming reaction from individuals, businesses and the local authority, we thank them all for their support at the end of a very tough week.

‘We are delighted that after such a difficult time for their own family the Waleses thought of us and the people of the community in need across Southwark, and that’s testament to their decency and compassion.’

Pecan posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: ‘A huge thank you to @Kensingtonroyal who have donated to the recovery effort following the theft of £3k of food supplies from @southwarkfoodbk. All at @Pecan121a have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from across society. Food stocks are being replenished now.’

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said the force was called at 9.02am on Monday to a report of a burglary at a business in Peckham.

They said: ‘It was reported that a laptop, phone and food was stolen from the property.

‘Inquiries are ongoing; no arrests have been made.’