The Salvation Army is urging people to donate items by using the dedicated banks or taking them inside the centre

A charity has said it is “saddened” to see donations being left outside of its donation centre in a Cambridgeshire town. The Salvation Army Wisbech Donation Centre posted on social media calling for people to stop leaving items outside when the centre is closed.

Leaving items outside means they could be damaged and can no longer be used as donations. The charity then has to use its own money to remove the items meaning “less money” goes towards the Salvation Army’s cause.

In the post, it said someone had left a “mouldy, dirty, still-frozen fridge/freezer, a glass TV stand, and several bags of items”. Staff and volunteers also have to spend time away from sorting through donations to help clear up the fly-tipped items.

The charity is now urging people to stop fly-tipping outside of the centre and to donate items by using the dedicated banks or taking donations inside.

A Salvation Army spokesperson said: “We are saddened when donations are left outside out of hours. This is considered fly-tip as items left outside can be damaged and cannot be used for donations. These also cost us to clear up which means less money to our charitable cause and means our dedicated staff and volunteers are clearing these items up which takes valuable time away from sorting through donations and serving customers. We urge people not to leave items outside our store or clothing banks – fly tipping can lead to fines issued by local authorities.”

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