Warning: Leaving items outside closed charity shops is fly-tipping.
Leaving donations outside closed charity shops is considered to be fly-tipping and people could be fined up to £400 Telford & Wrekin Council warns.
The council’s enforcement team is urging people to only take their items to shops which are open and accepting donations.
Removal of items left by the public from the highstreets is not a shop owner’s responsibility. If they don’t remove the items, this creates a waste problem and the council has to use tax payer’s money to remove the items as they are then reported as fly-tips.
Richard Overton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, Enforcement and Transport said: “Please don't leave your items outside of a charity shop. That's not a donation - its fly-tipping and that's a crime.
“We’re regularly trying to educate people about this as we know most are just trying to do a good deed, however it just creates a mess and is an eyesore, not to mention an easy target for arson.
"If you want to donate your items please make sure the shop is open before heading out.
"Never leave your items outside of a closed charity shop as items will simply be cleared away.
“Anyone that leaves items in the doorway of a charity shop, outside its opening hours could be committing a fly-tipping offence which we will investigate and this could lead to a fine being imposed or a prosecution in the Magistrates Court.”
The person in the pictures was given a formal warning on this occasion but in future the enforcement team will be handing out fines up to £400.
A number of areas within Telford have benefited from considerable investment in CCTV as part of a project called ‘Safer & Stronger Communities’, a total of £222,300 has been spent on CCTV to tackle long term issues that have been causing concerns, ultimately improving the quality of life for communities.
The joint partnership between PCC John Campion and Telford & Wrekin Council, started last year with a total of £2.5 million to spend on delivering initiatives that prevent crime and help to create initiatives to support residents.
If you have information that could lead to a prosecution regarding fly-tipping, please call the hotline on 01952 388 800 or if you’re a charity shop owner experiencing such issues.
There are plenty of other ways to dispose of waste including bulky waste collections, resuing, recycling at home or at recycling centres.
