A charity is pleading with people not to leave donations or rubbish outside its shops.
Clothes have been ruined by rain and removing the discarded rubbish is using up valuable funds.
Sue Gilham, retail manager for the Farleigh Hospice, said the charity's store in Witham High Street often had mountains of donations outside which cannot be sold and the charity has to pay to have them taken away.
She said: "People are very generous but some people are using us as a dumping ground. The other day there was an old gas cooker and a large television in our bin at the back.
"When people put their rubbish in our bin we don't have any room for our rubbish and we have to pay to have everything taken away."
Mrs Gilham advises anyone who wants to donate bric-a-brac or clothes to do so when the store is open or by calling 01245 477844 to arrange collection.
High-quality donations are crucial to the charity's survival, she added.
Published Tuesday October 22, 2002
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