CHARITY workers are frustrated by increasing levels of theft from shops in Billericay.
Several stores on High Street are concerned by the amount of goods being snatched from outside their doors. Employees say these thefts have increased and believe this may be due to the changes to the value of rags, meaning that the public can now easily make money from old clothes.
Charity shop workers try to encourage the public to bring donations directly into the shop during opening hours, but often bags of secondhand clothing and other pre-owned objects still get left outside overnight or at the weekend.
Mandy Smith, assistant manager at Cancer Research on High Street, says the thefts have been going on for years.
The 50-year-old explained: "We're losing out on a lot of stock – people have said we've had donations piled half way up the window and when we come in there's hardly any left.
"They have even taken photos to show us how much there was.
"People have also come in and asked if we've sold something they brought when we have never seen it."
Mrs Smith, who lives in Rayleigh, says the thefts happen several times a week, as far as she is aware, and mostly at the weekend.
She and her colleagues are concerned about the loss of income for the charity.
She explained: "We must be losing quite a lot of money over time.
"I am really frustrated by it – it's left out for us and we don't get a chance to go through it and find what's there. Many things aren't worth a lot but there's often something valuable in the bags.
"It's been going on for the four years I have worked here, but it's recently got worse, and no one does anything about it. The police try but it's difficult to monitor when people leave donations outside.
"Now the public are allowed to get money from rags and I think this has made it worse."
For instance, Cash 4 Clothes, a company who offer money in return for second hand clothing, will pay £5 for every 10kg bin bag of clothes.
Staff in Sense, also on the High Street, echoed Mrs Smith's sentiments, explaining that items often go missing from outside their store.
Mrs Smith continued: "They leave a mess as well - there's stuff all over the place when they take things from the bags.
"Once I found a bloke trying on stuff in the window and when I arrived he ran off.
"People go round the back and go through the bins so we've even started putting our stuff in Greggs' bin so they can't find it.
"One policeman caught some people but most of the time they get away with it."
Employees from a third charity shop in the High Street also confirmed that donations left to them were taken, but they did not wish to be identified.
Speaking of the thefts, Sergeant Paul Costin said: "A lot of it is overnight opportunists, they take the stuff that they know is suitable for sale – they know that the shops leave them out the back.
"If it becomes a worrying trend that we need to pick up we will. A lot of the charity shops are empowering themselves – trackers are a very good way of monitoring this.
"A lot of the shops protect themselves by doing this," he added.
