Christmas presents for homeless children have been stolen from a charity’s van in Dublin.

The Liberty Soup Run said its van was ransacked in Fatima in the early hours of the morning last night.

It said the van was ready to go with shoeboxes full of presents that had been donated for the children as well as clothes and electrical items.

In a post on Facebook, the charity said the robbers also “wrecked the inside of the van.”

“We had a lot of shoe boxes with lovely presents inside them for the homeless and some little presents for the kids,” it said.

“People made these for us and it breaks my heart to say someone has robbed them.”

Among the stolen items was an Xbox computer, brand new runners a Bluetooth speaker and sunglasses.

The charity is appealing to anyone who knows what happened to contact Gardaí.

“It is disgusting to say someone would do this,” it said. “Robbing from people who don't have anything and taking kid’s stuff for Christmas.

“They were all wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper so they knew what they were for. So angry.”

The Liberty Soup Run provides assistance to the homeless, elderly people and families in Dublin.