Donations pile up outside Darwen charity shop, despite SIX signs asking people not to leave bags

Volunteers at the Darwen branch of the British Heart Foundation say despite people's good will, they are ignoring the SIX signs in the shop's windows which state, 'please do not leave donations outside as they may be removed or damaged'.

The shop is currently closed due to lockdown, but volunteers for the charity say people have been ignoring the signs since the first lockdown last year, and as a result, many of the items they could have made use of either get stolen, damaged, or strewn all over the roads, creating an eyesore for the people of the town.

On Thursday, one volunteer was left frustrated after more bags were dumped in the entrance, and said he could not understand why people keep leaving their unwanted items outside the shop.

He said: "Can people not see the shop is closed and understand these donations will just be stolen or binned.

"Please keep donations at home until we open again."

Bags are being left outside the Darwen branch of the British Heart Foundation charity shop - volunteers say people are ignoring the signs and need to stop leaving them there

Some residents were left slightly confused though, as one notice in the shop window states the charity were still accepting donations.

They were also perplexed as to why staff could not just take the items into the shop and begin sorting them while it remains closed.

However, a spokesperson for the British Heart Foundation said volunteers have been unable to go into the shop during lockdown to take any of the original notices down as they were prohibited from doing so under the current restrictions.

The spokesperson added: "There are at least six notifications in the windows saying the shop is shut because of Covid.

"Volunteers are not allowed in until restrictions are lifted.

"This is not a new problem though as even when the shop was open, people would still leave bags at the front and at the back, sometimes overnight or at weekends, and they would end up all over the street or the car park.

Bags are being left outside the Darwen branch of the British Heart Foundation charity shop - volunteers say people are ignoring the signs and need to stop leaving them there

"We know people want to help but sometimes people leave things that really should be going to the tip; some of the things aren't usable, around 30 per cent - like broken toys and burnt pans, soiled clothes and half-eaten food.

"Over lockdown we know people have been having clear-outs and want to get rid of stuff, but just because they don't want the items in their homes doesn't mean they can leave it outside the shop, it just creates problems.

"If you want to help, please keep your items at home until we are open, and then bring them to the shop where volunteers will be happy to take them off your hands."