A LIST of authorised charity street collections has been compiled in the fight against bogus collectors. And thirty three permits for street collections to be held throughout the Borough from March to December have been issued by St Helens Council's Licensing Office.

Licensing Officer David Breeze said: "We are concerned about bogus collectors who prey on the public's generosity.

"We will continue to pursue unauthorised collections through the courts and ask the public to be wary of people who, for example, offer badges, magazines or scratch/draw cards for sale with vague reference to charities. Even if the collectors are wearing a company or charity badge, this does not mean they are entitled to collect."

The council has issued the following guidelines to enable people to recognise genuine collections.

With the exception of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, collections have been allocated only on Saturdays.

Only one collection is authorised in any area on a given date.

All collectors must wear badges issued by St Helens Council with the collector's name, area, date of collection and the name of the charity.

Collectors must be at least 16 years of age.

The list of authorised collections is available for inspection during office hours at the Licensing Unit, Town Hall Annex, 2 Birchley Street. Complaints or incidents should be reported to the Licensing Unit during office hours on 01744 456288. At the weekend, incidents should be reported to a police officer or the control room at St Helens Police Station on 0151 709 6010.