By Alan Richardson

PERTH SHOPPERS have urged the council to fall in line with Dundee and ban “chuggers” from the High Street.

Locals contacted The Courier after reading yesterday how the clipboard-armed charity fund-raisers who use witty banter and neat sales techniques to extract direct debit charity pledges have been forbidden from operating in Dundee.

Critics have branded the groups, which operate in teams along the length of the High Street, “charity muggers”—or “chuggers”—and said they too often fail to take no for an answer and use guilt to make people sign up to payments they later regret.

City centre worker Becki Johnson said she backed the Dundee stance, which does not differentiate between unlicensed cash collection and gathering peoples’ bank account details.

The shop assistant said, “It is a really annoying thing to be walking along and suddenly have someone jump in front of you with a clipboard, guilt-tripping you with a story about their charity and then making you feel bad that you’ve got extra cash.

“In Perth, they string out along the High Street so no sooner have you got past one than another is in your face.

“I think people have so many options now for signing up to charities, there is no need for this.”

Pensioner Pat Balfour relived her own close call and said, “I think it’s time our council had a look at doing something similar.

“People just can’t afford to be signing up to extra things at this time but I felt pressured last time when the young lady spoke to me.

“Luckily a friend spotted me and realised what was going on before I could give any details. I know they’re doing nothing illegal and their hearts are in the right place but you have no time to think and people seem to sign up just to get away.”

It was revealed this week Dundee is the only authority area in Scotland which bans the practice, using a unique interpretation of section 119 of the Civic Government Scotland Act.

A spokesman for Perth and Kinross Council said, like other authorities, it takes the view that canvassing for bank details is not the same as asking for cash.

He said, “There are around 17 charities in Scotland—the larger ones—that are issued with an exemption certificate to collect in the street.

“This means they do not need our permission, but they do need to give us notice of their intent to collect before they turn up in the High Street.

“Smaller charities do need a licence to collect, and they are required to give us three months’ advance notice. We only allow one collection at a time in town.

“However, the people with the clipboards are not strictly charity collectors if they are canvassing for a standing order rather than for money.

“Under law they do not require any licence because they’re not collecting money. Therefore, we as a council have no involvement in their activities.”