RESIDENTS have been told to be on their guard against bogus charity collectors.

The warning from council bosses follows a series of complaints about rogue companies, operating most recently in the Clifton Moor area of the city and Wigginton, who claim they are collecting clothes for charity.

Today, Coun Richard Moore, pictured, ward councillor for Skelton, Rawcliffe and Clifton Without, called for more stringent controls on door to door collections - in the light of the "growing number of companies misleading the public".

City of York Council warned householders to beware of leaflets through their doors appealing for donations of unwanted clothes and other items, claiming they will be distributed to poor Eastern European of Third World countries.

Householders are asked to leave the goods to be collected in a plastic bag by their front doors. The council said a number of these leaflets give the misleading impression that the items are being collected for charitable purposes.

Although this practice infringes advertising regulations, the perpetrators are often difficult to track down.

A council spokeswoman said: "In reality, the collections are often organised by commercial operators who sell the donated items on for profit.

"The impression is often reinforced by the use of a registration number, which people may think is that of a registered charity, but is in fact a limited company number."

Bone fide collections are licensed through the council, which keeps records of legitimate charities collecting in the area.

Coun Moore said legitimate charities were losing out. "These companies are misleading the public, who think they are supporting charities," he said.

"The truth is that the company is selling the goods on, and making money out of the misled public who donate items. The legitimate charities supply a marked sack, to put the goods in. I would urge anybody who is asked to supply their own bag, and stick the leaflet on it, to take the goods to their local charity shop or wait for the next proper collection."

He said the Clifton Moor area had been targeted "at least six times this year". He said: "The people who run these businesses are making money under false pretences and this practice should be stopped. Legitimate charities are losing out."

Updated: 10:11 Saturday, November 26, 2005