Donations being stolen by Angus thieves are contributing to a shortfall in a charity’s income.
Pink PDSA sacks filled with donations are being stolen from Montrose doorsteps before they can be collected. Fed-up staff said that items left outside the PDSA shop in the town’s High Street are also regularly being lifted.
Thieves have even gone as far as to run off with bulky armchairs that were recently left in the shop doorway just before opening time.
It comes as the charity which cares for thousands of animals across Scotland revealed that donations to its 25 charity shops across Scotland have “dropped dramatically in 2013”.
Police last night urged good samaritans to take donations to shops during opening hours in the wake of the incidents.
Montrose shop manager Ramona McMahon said: “A big problem remains the theft of bags from outside the shop which has an effect on sales and the charity’s income.
“People will often leave bags at the door overnight but they’ll be gone by the time we open up in the morning. I remember getting a call from a woman who said there were two beautiful armchairs which were left outside the shop.
“She asked me to reserve them for her but when I got to the shop five minutes later they were gone. Obviously the less stock we have on the shelves then the less we can sell and the less we can raise for the PDSA.”
She is now urging people to hand in donations during shop hours or call up to have their items collected at a convenient time.
The missing items are contributing to a drop in trade at the shop which has also been caused by a drop in quality of donations.
PDSA sacks are put through doors midweek asking people to fill them and leave them at their front door for collection a few days later.
Ramona said the PDSA van will often arrive to pick them up but the bags will have already been taken away to the bewilderment of the residents.
The PDSA’s shops sell new goods and donated items to raise funds to provide free veterinary treatment for the sick and injured pets of people in need.
The shops are entirely dependant on the goodwill of the public both in terms of donations and the volunteers who man the shop floor. The charity said every bag that is stolen is taking vital funds away from pets in need of vets.
Ramona said that people can hand in bags during 9am to 5pm opening hours or call 01674 673276 to arrange collection.
PDSA area retail manager, Sharon Miller, said: “The drop in donations we have seen has had real impact on the money we are raising as we only have around half the stock we ideally want.”
A spokesman for Police Scotland’s Tayside Division said: “We are aware that these mean-spirited incidents happen sporadically, not just in Tayside, but across the UK.
“We would advise people to hand their donations into charity shops during opening hours rather than leaving them outside.”
He added that this would not only reduce the risk of them falling into the wrong hands, but bags or items lying outside a door can also cause an obstruction or a fire risk.
Genuine PDSA collectors travel in a blue van with PDSA written on the side and always carry identification with them.