Residents need to be on their guard when donating clothes to door-to-door charity collections.

The latest warning follows a series of complaints made to Swindon Borough Council Trading Standards after residents received collection bags from company 'Do Not Delay' which give the impression it is a charity.

Cllr Colin Lovell, Cabinet Member for a Safer and Stronger Borough, said: "These collection bags are very similar to those used by many charity appeals but the word 'charity' does not appear on the leaflet and neither does a UK registered charity number. The small print goes on to say that the organisation donates a minimum of £5,000 to the project each month, but as the collecting organisation is a limited company and not a charity, it's not clear if a proportion of what's raised is retained as profit."

Do Not Delay claims that any donated goods will be used to raise funds to help combat breast cancer. Information on the bags asks householders to sort any unwanted clothes and shoes for a roadside collection in aid of a 'breast cancer prevention programme'.

The information goes on to say that Do Not Delay is an important project that provides breast cancer information and screenings for women in Lithuania. A rose petal border also features on the bag, plus a pink ribbon - a symbol used by breast cancer charities worldwide.

Leaflets attached to the bags list the company behind the collections as Intersecond Ltd, which claims to be appointed agents for Azzara, a Lithuanian organisation behind the Do Not Delay project.

Phil Thomas, Head of Regulatory Services at Swindon Borough Council, which includes Trading Standards, said: "Anyone collecting from the doorstep in Swindon for charitable purposes and is a non-profit making organisation or registered charity, should have a House to House Collection Licence from Swindon Borough Council.  Intersecond Limited does not have this licence.  

"Our advice is clear; if there is any doubt at all then people should not donate. There are plenty of worthy charities within the borough, some even have their own shops and would gladly take any unwanted clothes you have."

Anyone with concerns about charity collections can call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.