BOGUS charity collectors are stealing donation bags meant for charity in Huddersfield.
Brazen thieves are driving around and collecting the bags of clothes from Huddersfield doorsteps – minutes before the genuine charity collections are due.
And it is costing animal charity the RSPCA a large amount of much-needed funds.
Police are now investigating reports that the bags are being collected by people driving a white van before official collectors can make their rounds.
The Halifax and Huddersfield branch of the animal charity reported their concerns to officers in Calderdale after noticing a decline in the number of bags being put out for collection recently.
But they didn’t know the reason for the drop until they received a tip off about the bogus collectors this week.
RSPCA official Diane Whitehead said: “An elderly woman in Bradley told our collectors that she wanted to make sure her donated items were actually being given to the RSPCA, because she’d noticed some bags being collected by people in a white van earlier in the week.
“We sent out 500 empty bags this week, and we’ve only been able to collect 22 full ones. Normally we’d be looking at a return of around 50.”
It is thought that the bags are being stolen for the old clothes and other textiles that have been donated.
Rag collecting is a profitable venture, with a ton of rags generally being sold for around £1,000.
Some fraudsters go as far as to send out their own charity bags asking for textile donations but no money gets sent to the charities.
Ms Whitehead said: “The official collection normally takes place just after 9am, so the fake collectors must be really eager to get the rags.
“People need to be aware that once items are placed in the charity bags, they become the property of the RSPCA.
“Taking them is classed as theft and they could get in a lot of trouble for it.”
Police confirmed they are investigating and appealed for information.
Ms Whitehead added: “It’s such an awful thing to do.
“The money we raise from these charity bags is used to look after abused animals.
“We’re really short of funds at the minute so by stealing the bags, the thieves are depriving these poor animals of the care that they need.”
