COPS have arrested a man over the theft of a charity box raising money for a five-year-old boy battling a rare form of cancer who has won the nation's heart.
Little Bradley Lowery has been fighting cancer since he was just two, but on Sunday a box raising cash for his treatment and for other kids suffering from the same fate was stolen from The Lunch Box takeaway in Peterlee, Country Durham.
Thanks to info from members of public we have managed to get Bradley Lowery's money back for him. Man arrested & will be interviewed later. pic.twitter.com/ajQkVvWvq9
— Durham Constabulary (@DurhamPolice) March 20, 2017Luckily Durham Police tracked down the swiped cash, and on Monday tweeted a picture of the bag of coins with the message: "Got your money back mate, keep fighting buddy."
They also confirmed a man has been arrested in connection with the theft.
Young Sunderland fan Bradley’s life changed when he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma on January 7 2013.
Battling Brad, from Blackhall Colliery near Hartlepool, beat the disease once but he tragically relapsed after some time in remission in July 2016.
His family desperately raised funds to send the five-year-old to the USA for life-saving specialist treatment.
They hit the £700,000 to get Bradley to America, achieving it with the help of the football community with Everton donating £200,000 to the brave boy.
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But in a painfully cruel blow, docs told Bradley's family his cancer had become terminal - and the gruelling treatment could only prolong his life or even kill him.
Fighter Bradley is now undergoing the pioneering treatment - not yet available on the NHS - at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary, rather than having to travel to America.
As a massive Sunderland fan, the club have rallied round the lad and he has led the team out on to the pitch several times, holding the hand of his idol Jermaine Defoe.
He is also set to be the mascot for England when they take on Lithuania this Sunday.
Hundreds of thousands of pounds have been raised for Bradley since news of his brave cancer fight went international.
The money has been used to fund treatment to prolong his life, but last month it was revealed he had developed a new tumour at the base of his back.
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