ORGANISERS have spoken of their dismay after an estimated £1,500 in cash was stolen from a music festival held to fund a child's cancer treatment.

The Mowerfest event in Abergavenny was being held in support of the Jacob's Fight campaign – a fundraiser to help cover the costs for young Jacob Jones, from Ebbw Vale, to receive expensive treatment in the USA to prevent his neuroblastoma returning.

As reported in the Argus yesterday, the weekend music and camping event was proving to be a great success, with families making the most of the fine weather, but organisers' happiness soon turned to despair when, on Saturday night, they realised a money tin containing the day's takings had been stolen from behind the bar.

"I just can't believe how it ended after an awesome, busy weekend," Sian Probert, one of the organisers, said. "The mood dropped straight away. Some people have got no morals."

The money tin, Ms Probert explained, had been kept hidden away in the tent where the organisers were serving drinks and barbecue food.

"Being a family festival, we weren't always keeping an eye out for people wandering around," she added.

At the end of the evening's entertainment, one of the organisers found the tin had disappeared.

The police were called, and a Gwent Police spokeswoman confirmed inquiries are ongoing.

Ms Probert said the festival site had CCTV cameras, and the organisers were hoping to pursue a lead.

Since news of the theft spread, there has been an outpouring of support from the local community, with people sharing the organisers' anger and dismay at how someone could be so callous to steal money destined for a cause like Jacob's Fight.

"A lovely lady has set up a Gofundme page to try and raise some of the money back," Ms Probert said. "People are so generous.

"The general public are amazing when it comes to things like this."

Unfortunately, this is not the first time money donated to Jacob's Fight has been stolen.

In May 2018, shortly after Jacob was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, thieves broke into Wernddu Golf Club, Abergavenny, and stole a safe containing £1,300 which had been raised for his treatment.

The safe was later found emptied and dumped on a hill close to the Keeper's Pond in Blaenavon.

And Ms Probert said there had been other incidents.

"We've had tins stolen from pubs and shops, so we know it happens, but we still take it to heart," she said.

"It makes me think if it's worth it [to organise events like Mowerfest] because people ruin it, but of course it's worth it because of the wonderful family atmosphere."

And though everyone involved in the campaign will have been saddened by the theft, there is generally cause for much optimism – Jacob and his parents recently returned from the USA following the successful completion of his first round of treatment.

Click here to view the Gofundme page set up in the wake of the Mowerfest theft.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Gwent Police on 101, quoting log number 19 of 30/6/2019.

Alternatively, you can send a direct message to the Gwent Police Facebook or Twitter pages.