A TEENAGE fundraiser was left heartbroken when thieves stole almost half of the money she had raised to help send a young leukaemia sufferer on the trip of a lifetime.

Elli Hayward-Love, 16, from Wisbech, was named as our Kids Are Alright monthly winner after completing a 10-hour sponsored pool marathon to raise money for Shannon Foster, 11.

The selfless teenager decided to hold the event after she was unable to support the cause at a charity bingo night held at Thomas Clarkson Community College.

But Elli was left devastated when around �100 of the charity money was stolen from her home after a gathering with friends got out of control.

She said: “I thought I could trust them but more people came round than I thought. They nicked a lot of things from my house as well as the money, which was hidden in a jar.

“As soon as I saw it was gone I ran out of my house in bare feet looking for them. I was in tears because I felt like it was my fault.

“I’m going to put some money towards what was stolen and some of my friends said they would as well because I was really upset.”

Sponsorship money is still being collected after Elli and her team-mates Kieran Roach, Jesse Verrier and Lance White completed the pool marathon at The Venue, in Wisbech.

Lesley Hayward, Elli’s mother, said: “To take money raised for a girl who has leukaemia is absolutely gut-wrenching.

“I want to make people aware that it was stolen and hopefully the guilty parties will feel even more guilty. I’m devastated and sickened by it.”

A police spokesman said: “It is disgraceful that someone has helped themselves to this money which had been raised for a good cause.

“We are investigating and would urge anyone with any information about this theft to contact police.”