HIGH street store Boots has put its money where its mouth is by apologising with a £250 cheque after a manager asked charity collectors to move on, claiming they were turning customers away.

One of Blackburn with Darwen mayor Tony Humphrys handed over the cheque to the MS Society, for which he was collecting money last month when the stand-off occurred.

He was outside Boots in Blackburn Shopping Centre along with collectors from the MS Society -- who said they stood there once every year -- when a manager from Boots asked them to move on.

When they refused, the manager offered them £10 to move. The charity had permission from Blackburn Shopping Centre to collect there.

Boots bosses visited Coun Humphrys last week to apologise.

They asked Coun Humphrys to present the cheque in a bid to draw a line under the 'mis- understanding.'

A spokesman for the firm said: "Since the incident covered in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, in which the mayor complained after being asked to stand slightly to one side whilst collecting on behalf of the MS Society, our area manager, David Winstanley met with the mayor to explain that any offence that may have been caused was entirely unintentional and explained how seriously we take our policy of working with charities at both a local and a national level.

"As a gesture of goodwill we are delighted to make this £250 donation to the Multiple Sclerosis Society and wish them every success with their fundraising efforts."

Coun Humphrys said: "I get the impression this incident caused a bit of bad feeling in the town but as far as I am concerned, it has been resolved now. My concern has always been for the lady we were collecting with. We weren't doing anything to scare off customers - people were approaching us."

Coun Humphrys stands down on Thursday night, making way for new mayor, Coun Mike Barrett.