White van man steals charity bags

A WHITE van man is being hunted after stealing bags of charity donations from doorsteps.

He was spotted by residents in Musselburgh picking up the donation bags but many assumed he was working for the charity.

It was only when workers from Capability Scotland arrived to find no bags to collect that the police were called in.

Local resident Evelyn Ferrier, 69, said she was "disgusted" at the criminal, after he took a bag filled with clothes and fabrics which was due to be picked up by Capability Scotland.

Mrs Ferrier has been a firm supporter of various charities after losing both her husband and son to cancer in just nine months.

She said: "It is just disgusting, and I really couldn't believe that people would stoop so low as to steal from a charity," she said.

"I saw the man pick up the parcels and thought it was strange they had come a day early, but it wasn't until the next day when the actual charity van came round that I realised what had happened.

"I went to speak to the driver and he said he was a bit surprised there were no donations, as this is an area where lots of people donate to charity, and I had to tell him that someone had already picked them up."

Mrs Ferrier raised almost 3,000 for cancer charities last year in memory of her husband Alan and her only son John.

Mr Ferrier, a former police sergeant, died in August 2008 after a short illness, at 68. To add to her heartbreak, Mrs Ferrier learned two days before his funeral that their son John, 37, had only months to live due to cancer.

"It is a sad day when a charitable donation isn't safe, and I hope everyone keeps a lookout for these people so they can be caught," she added.

Nicola Fleming, head of retail at Capability Scotland, said: "We are grateful to everyone who supports us by donating to our shops as all donations help our work with disabled people across Scotland.

"Thefts of this nature are worrying but fortunately a rare occurrence and we would urge people not to be discouraged from donating using collection bags.

"To protect donations, we ensure that all van collections are carried out on designated days and that our drivers and volunteers carry identification."

A police spokesman said: "Lothian and Borders Police are investigating following the theft of bags of donated clothes from outside houses in Musselburgh. The incident happened around 9.30am on 20 January and involved a man driving a white van.

"He is described as white, approximately 40 years old with a slight build and wearing an orange high-visibility vest."