Thieves stole six cash boxes belonging to a youth brass band after the group spent the day collecting money to attend a ceremony in Belgium during the summer.

The Revolution Show Corps, of Queensbury, spent three hours at Morrisons supermarket in Girlington, Bradford, playing Christmas carols and collecting money to pay for the trip.

Then, during a concert at a masonic lodge in Halifax, the boxes, which were thought to contain £300, were taken from a reception area.

Band member and instructor Trevor Biggs, whose nine-year-old daughter is also in the band, said: “We just can’t believe somebody would stoop that low to pinch what was obviously charity collection boxes.

“A couple of the parents who were there were heartbroken because they had spent three hours out there in the cold collecting money.

“We are disgusted to be quite honest, to think they could pinch charity boxes.”

Mr Biggs said the band had gone straight to the Saville Masonic Lodge after collecting the money at Morrisons.

He said: “Obviously we took the money out of the car because we thought it would be safer.”

Band members range from eight years old upwards. The band was raising money to fund a trip to Belgium to take part in the Menin Gate Last Post ceremony.

Mr Biggs said: “It is difficult to raise money and we don’t want to land the families with children in the band with more costs.”

Sergeant Louise Garner, of Lower Valley Neighbourhood Policing Team in Halifax, appealed for information about the theft which occurred on Sunday.

She said: “It is heartless that someone has stolen from a charity.

“We appeal to anyone who has any information or who witnessed the incident and to anyone who sees someone handling similar boxes and acting suspiciously to contact the police.”

Witnesses should contact Lower Valley NPT on 0845 6060606.

e-mail: james.rush @telegraphandargus.co.uk