By Hugo Gye PUBLISHED: 06:28 EST, 29 October 2013 | UPDATED: 06:37 EST, 29 October 2013 A war memorial has been vandalised just two weeks before Remembrance Sunday after thieves broke open a collection box to steal just a few coins. The vandals caused £400 worth of damage to the RAF memorial in Lytham St Anne's, Lancashire by using an angle grinder to get into the box. The theft follows a spate of vandalism at war memorials carried out by unscrupulous criminals across the country who sold off metal plaques and statues to scrap dealers. Vandalism: This collection box in a war memorial in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire was cut open by thieves
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Vandals took change from collection box in Lytham St Anne's memorial
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Theft two weeks before Remembrance Sunday will cost £400 to repair
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Memorial volunteers leave hand-written note criticising 'mindless thieves'
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Previously a number of memorials have been targeted for scrap metal
for a few pennies was greater than the need to remember the @placeholder war