RESIDENTS in Rossendale are being urged not to give to children calling door to door with small hospice collecting tins designed purely for home collections.

Rossendale Hospice has relaunched its penny-pinching appeal, giving out the brightly coloured collecting tins, which people can fill and 'post' in special hospice houses in local supermarket.

But appeals director Liz Nelson has received reports that some children have been using them to collect door to door.

She said: "We have had reports from Crawshawbooth and Rawtenstall.

"In one incident the child said they were doing a sponsored walk from Clowbridge Reservoir to the hospice and handing the money straight in which is why he wanted it there and then -- he never showed up.

"This has in no way been authorised by Rossendale Hospice. Children under the age of 18 are not allowed by law to collect on the streets and a special licence from the council is required for door-to-door collections.

"Penny-pinching tins are not used by the hospice for any sort of outdoor collection and street collections are undertaken only by authorised volunteers, all carrying an authorisation letter.

"If you are approached by anyone asking for money or saying that they are collecting for the hospice please ask to see this letter.

"If they do not have any authorisation then they are not connected with the hospice or passing the money on."

Liz said the police had been informed of the problems.

She also thanked all the generous people who were participating in the fund-raising scheme properly, by taking the tins home and filling them with any loose change.

Each year the hospice needs to raise £275,000 to maintain its services, when broken down it is 1p per day from everyone in Rossendale.

Last year the penny-pinching appeal raised £10,000.

Supermarkets throughout Rossendale, Asda, Whiteheads, Kwik Save and the Co-op all have hospice houses for the tins to be deposited in and more tins are available from the hospice shop and the tourist information centre, Rawtenstall.