Conmen stealing donations destined for injured troops have been branded ”despicable” by high-ranking Courier Country veterans.
The charity Crimestoppers has revealed that gangs claiming to be collecting for Troop Aid are, in fact, selling on clothes donated by members of the public.
Calls have flooded in to the anonymous crime phone line from across the UK, all reporting thieves posting bogus bags through letterboxes before returning to lift them after they have been filled.
The chairman of the 45 Commando Veterans’ Association, Stuart Lavery, said stealing from wounded soldiers should not go unpunished.
”This is absolutely despicable and these people are really the lowest of the low,” said Mr Lavery, who lives in Arbroath. ”Anybody who steals from charity should be met with the full force of the law.
“Honestly, I would shoot them. But given we can’t do that, they should be brought to task by the police.”
Troop Aid recycles the clothes it collects and uses the money gained to provide the troops with kit they need.
The charity confirmed genuine bags had fallen into the wrong hands after a batch was discontinued.
Major Ronnie Proctor, of The Black Watch Association, who is also a councillor for Kirriemuir, urged anybody who receives a bag in Tayside or Fife to report the matter to the police.
He said: ”These people are trading on the misery and misfortune of others and taking advantage of the kindness of people in Britain. This will make a difference, not only to Troop Aid, but to other organisations and charities who collect from the public.
”Once this kind of thing is made public, how do people know they are giving to a legitimate charity?”
The fake and genuine bags are almost identical, other than an address at the bottom. Official Troop Aid collection bags show a printed Midlands Textiles Ltd logo, while the bogus bags have different company information.
A spokeswoman for the charity said: ”We would advise anybody who suspects they have received a bogus bag in Scotland to report the matter to the police immediately.”
Troop Aid brings in about £6,000 a month through genuine clothes collections.
A police spokeswoman for Tayside Police said: ”Householders should demand to see the identification of anyone claiming to represent a business, authority, agency or charity.”