No excuse for theft from charity (From Messenger Newspapers)

No excuse for theft from charity

4:12pm Thursday 9th February 2012 in Your Letters

I HAVE been left with a bitter taste in my mouth after putting out five charity bags for collection by the British Heart Foundation.

I put them outside my house by 8am as requested on the bag. I noticed that a neighbour had also put one out so was content that it was the right collection day.

When taking my children to school at around 8.40am I noticed that my five bags had gone but that other bags on my road had not.

I saw the collection van shortly after 9am on a nearby road and flagged it down. I asked the ladies in it if they had been to my road yet which they said that they had not.

I explained that there were bags still on the road but that mine had gone.

They could only conclude that someone else had taken them.

Unfortunately as I had not seen the vehicle which collected my donation I was unable to report it.

We live in difficult times but there is no excuse for theft and theft from a charity is inexcusable.

While I would not wish to put off anyone from donating, I would like to raise public awareness. If you see a collection being made by a vehicle which is not displaying the livery of the charity, may I suggest that you take down the registration and report it. H Sadler, Hale, address supplied