18 May Leigh Charity shop tackles donation thefts
A CHARITY shop has taken a tough stance against “scumbags” who rip open bags and steal donations in aid of poorly children.
A sign appeared outside Barnardo’s, on London Road, Leigh, warning customers not to leave donations on the doorstep when the store is shut following a spate of thefts.
It read: “Please do not leave donations here after 5pm as scumbags think it’s ok to steal from a charity which helps children. They also think it’s ok to throw the donations around for someone else to pick up.”
The sign has been removed after Barnardo’s head office was made aware of it.
Sue Everett, 66, duty manager at the Samaritans charity shop, on Hamlet Court Road,Westcliff, believes the bags of donations could have been taken by people in need.
She said: “The area is filled with flats and people who can be quite hard up so we understand that people take the donations that have been left for us. It only bothers us when they make a mess.
“We have notices up asking people not to leave donations outside but sometimes people do anyway and then we find them sprawled all over the place with items sometimes smashed.
A volunteer at Bustles, on Elm Road, Leigh, who did not want to be named, said her charity shop is often treated as a dumping ground.
She said: “We were targeted by flytippers three times in six days. The shop has been faced with wet clothes, disgusting rubbish and even a soaking wet faux fur coat.
“When we arrive in the morning it looks like donations have been left for us but when you open the bags we realise it’s filled with rubbish.
“Other times we arrive in the morning and everything is sprawled out on the pavement. It’s a real shame because there is a school nearby and children have to walk past all the disgusting rubbish on the floor.”
Caroline Parker, a Leigh town councillor, believes support for local charity shops is dwindling.
She said: “What really appals me is that you wouldn’t have this kind of thing happen a couple of years ago. We seem to becoming less community minded, where is peoples pride towards their community?
