“Lowlife” criminals broke into a funeral directors and stole a laptop, cash and a charity collection box.

Staff at a Hove funeral directors are “disgusted” that criminals targeted their shop in a break-in.

The thieves used a crowbar to prise open the door of the Mother and Daughter Funeral Directors in Blatchington Road in Hove.

The burglary was discovered by the directors’ co-owner Michelle Tanner as she went to open the premises at 8.50am on Monday morning.

It is thought the break-in happened between midday on Sunday and Monday morning.

Thieves made off with a laptop, £150 in petty cash and a collection box for the Martlets Hospice.

Computer shops have been advised to be on the look-out for anyone attempting to sell the stolen laptop.

Staff have been contacting clients to inform them what has happened.

Teresa Baker, who owns the funeral directors with her daughter, said: “Everybody we’ve spoken to is disgusted that somebody has done this.

“They stole a laptop and some petty cash that we use for parking and then we just noticed that they stole a collection box for the Martlets. That’s really low.

“There was quite a bit of money in it, I couldn’t even begin to say how much.”

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: “Police were informed of a burglary at Mother and Daughter Funeral Directors in Blatchington Road, Hove, sometime between midday on Sunday and 8.50am on Monday.

“The intruders had forced entry via a door and stole a laptop and cash.

“Anyone who saw anything is asked to call 101 quoting serial 0252 of 15/09.”