Streetlife

It's been reported twice that these people have been stealing from the Clothes bank at Warren Heath and the police are aware (so are Sainsburys staff) as they have them on CCTV but still haven't caught them. From memory  they also used a people carrier. Well spotted but try to get the registration number of the car next time by casually walking by (don't approach them) or maybe you can take a picture of them from your window.

I have my doubts also about the bulk of the collections made from homes in unmarked white vans, I think most of the clothes collected don't get to the charities. I was down Whitehouse where they buy S/H clothes for 80p kilo a few months back and there was a large white van with bags of clothes all in "Helping Hands" charity bags and they were selling them to the operators.

I actually never fill the bags that are left on the doorstep as i am dubious about them actually reaching the charity.  With a lot more charity shops opening locally i take them to the shop so i know they are being used correctly....unfortunately stealing seems to be a sign of the times.

Its worth noting that a lot of reputable charity shops will collect your bag from you if you have a lot to donate.  I never leave bags out on the doorstep, it always amazes me that people are gullible enough to use the 'Helping Hands' bags as you can see they are bogus, with no registration number, and remember, if they're not a 'well known' charity to you, i.e. cancer, arthritis, etc., they are probably supplied by these scavengers.  I often see the white van driving really slow down my road looking at the doorsteps as they go, so beware of leaving anything outside your house, try to get to the charity shop yourself instead.

Good advice guys!! but didn't get the reg number as it was dark and 12.15 at night, and wasnt going out in the snow to look, haha would have made me out to be the weird one. and I think they saw me and quickly went. next time i'll sneak out x

The problem is it is hard to know the legitimate vans and the crooks. The white van that comes along our road to collect charity bags is a volunteer, so the van is not sign-written. We always check what the bag says and who it is going to, and stick to BHF etc.

Yes, maybe there are some genuine collectors but there are also a few who are not and it's difficult to tell good from bad. I saw the Salvation Army van collecting a few days ago and it was clearly marked with telephone number and website. I feel more confident dealing with charities such as that. Maybe that is something the charities using the plain vans should bear in mind, although I guess the cost of a few stickers wouldn't deter the really determined crook.

Hi, i live on Grange Farm and a bag full of clothes for the recycling bin men has been taken today although our bins weren't emptied. I am assuming it wasn't the council that took the bag!

On a plus note if you have anything that I want to get rid of I just leave it on top of or next to my wheely bin in my front garden and usually by the next morning someone has taken it, saves me a trip to the dump. One mans rubbish etc etc