HEARTLESS crooks are stuffing clothes donations banks with rubbish and stealing goods which should be going to charities, it was claimed today.

Thieves are filling the clothes banks with rubbish, including beer cans, household waste and even cat litter. Then, when would-be donors can't fit their items into the full clothes banks they leave the clothes sitting alongside the bins - allowing the thieves to later snatch away the goods.

A spokesman for Nathan's Wastesavers – which provides clothes banks for charities, councils and other firms – said the problem had reached crisis point in East Kilbride.

The firm operates a Barnardo's clothes bank at Morrisons supermarket in Greenhills Road in the South Lanarkshire town. It sits alongside two other banks, operated by the Salvation Army.

The spokesman said: "These people are dumping beers cans and cat litter, among other items, into the clothes banks so that people cannot open the chute.

We have been given reports of men hanging around and picking up the donations every hour or so.

"It's despicable to steal from charities in this way.

"I have reported this to the police, passing on descriptions of men and car registrations."

Textile recycling is big business.

Nathan's Wastesavers employs 325 people from its base in Denny, Stirlingshire, and has more than 1500 donation sites around Scotland.

Most of the donated items are re-used in places like Africa, while the remainder is recycled for carpet underlay, soundproofing and other uses.

Clothes banks have become regular targets for crooks.

As reported in the Evening Times on March 20, a Capability Scotland clothes bank in Clarkston was raided.

Paul Ozanne, national recycling co-ordinator for the Salvation Army Trading Company, said the thefts damage the goodwill afforded to charities.

He said: "Making sure donations from the public end up where they are intended is extremely important to us, and individuals that steal the clothing intended for our banks have no regard for those we are raising money to help."