A CHARITY row has broken out after collectors for the NSPCC were seen loading up their van with clothes and bric-a-brac destined for Help the Aged.

Householders around Penketh and Sankey put out plastic bags full of clothes and bric-a-brac ready for collection by Help the Aged on Thursday morning, but were surprised when the bags were picked up by an unmarked red van an hour before collection was due.

When the official Help the Aged vehicle turned up at 10am, there wasn't a bag to be found.

One resident of St Stephen Road said: "I was annoyed because I always support Help the Aged and this time I had put out better stuff than usual.

"I thought it seemed strange that the van didn't have the 'Help the Aged' symbol, but I thought perhaps the usual van had broken down.

"They took all the bags on the street even though they were clearly marked with the charity's name. When the proper van arrived there was nothing left."

She said that an envelope had been pushed through her door the day before saying that a van would be collecting for the NSPCC the next day. Help the Aged had given five days' notice and provided collection bags.

Help the Aged spokeswoman Sarah Wilkinson said the charity was looking into the problem after a number of complaints. "We are very distressed about it because people thought they were giving to Help the Aged," she said.

"Generally charities respect each other's areas and property. All our vans are clearly marked and all our collectors carry ID cards."

When the NSPCC's Warrington office was contacted, a spokesman first said that they were not aware that a collection was due to take place in the town last week.

But after seeing the letter sent to the homes, she said it appeared the collection was an official NSPCC one, organised by the Manchester office and carried out on its behalf by a company called I&G Cohen.

She added: "I have spoken to the collectors involved and it looks like it was ours that picked up the bags. They said because we don't provide bags of our own they just picked up all the bags in the street.

"They also said there was nothing they could do. We will apologise to Help the Aged, of course."

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