UNLICENSED workers claiming to represent deprived orphan charities are targeting York residents, the Evening Press can reveal today.

Hundreds of households in the city have received leaflets asking for donations of clothing or fabric for the Romanian Orphans Appeal.

The leaflets were distributed this week in South Bank by Neil Harrison Clothing Collection, of Skegness, and claim to be collecting for Romanian Emergency Aid And Community Help (Reach).

But the charity today said they had not authorised the collections, and urged York residents not to be fooled.

David Smith, Reach treasurer, said: "We have no authorised collectors anywhere in the country at the moment. If anyone is collecting under the name Reach and my charity number, that's wrong."

He warned: "Do not put anything in those bags."

Mr Smith said the charity had a contract with Neil Harrison during 2005, but

terminated the deal at the end of the year. The leaflets claim Reach receives £20 for each tonne of clothes collected, but Mr Smith said: "They never gave us anything. They have been doing it all last year. We never saw a penny.

"We are trying to run a good cause and it's a great nuisance to us because we cannot get on, with all these bogus businesses going on."

A City of York Council spokeswoman said the collectors would need either a "house-to-house collection permit" issued by the council, or a Home Office exemption.

She said: "Whether they have a Home Office exemption we do not know, but they

certainly do not have a permit issued by us."

She said trading standards officials are keen to find out more about Neil Harrison Clothing Collection, and would like to hear from any residents with information about it or any other company about which they are concerned.

Katie Martin, press officer for the Home Office, said: "There is no exemption order for Neil Harrison Clothing Collection."

One Albemarle Road resident, who left a donation but would not be named, said: "About once a week I get a charity thing through the door, and usually I have some stuff to get rid of. But this just undermines everyone's confidence.

"All the genuine causes lose out, and people just get more suspicious."

Roselyne Calam, 62, of Trafalgar Street, said: "I already collect for Romanian orphans. This is not right."

Matt Boxall, principal trading standards officer for City of York Council, said: "We have had reports of bogus charity collections in York in the last few months. If anyone has put clothes out for a collection and feels that they may have been misled, they should phone the council's Trading Standards team via Consumer Direct on 08454 040506."

No one was available for comment at Neil Harrison Clothing Collection.

Updated: 10:00 Thursday, February 16, 2006