CHARITY bosses branded a wave of bogus money collectors who preyed on visitors to Royal Ascot as "lowlife".
Police urged racegoers to double-check the identity of anyone asking for cash for charity during the five-day racing festival.
The call follows three separate reports of suspicious people rattling charity tins at Knavesmire, in Blossom Street and near the railway station.
Council bosses said they have not issued any permits for people to collect money at the racecourse, but some general licences remain in the city centre.
Anne Pemberton, project manager for SNAPPY, said one of her colleagues spotted four young girls collecting money in the name of the York charity in George Hudson Street.
She said: "They don't have permission from us and I was horrified when I found out. It's pretty low."
Jackie Chapman, secretary of the York and District Branch of the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, said she had heard reports of two women "collecting for MS" in the Albemarle Road area.
A York Police spokesman said officers were investigating all reports received.
Updated: 10:17 Thursday, June 16, 2005
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