A FURIOUS row has broken out between two charity branches after members of one went into a neighbouring town to collect cash.

Members of Bolton ShopMobility were left seething after representatives from the Burnley ShopMobility collected inside Morrisons superstore at Bolton.

Employees at the registered charity - which provides mobility aids such as electric powered scooters to make shopping easier for the disabled - say they are worried some shoppers may not have realised the money was going to the Burnley scheme.

But the chairman of the Burnley branch said signs clearly stated the collection was for the Burnley branch and on the first day of the two-day collection a donation from the total takings was offered to the Bolton branch.

Bolton's chairman John Seddon said: "The first we knew about it was when people, who had generously contributed in the firm belief that they were supporting their local service, proudly showed our staff their stickers.

"I, and the charity's six trustees, am furious about this. We would never have accepted a donation because if we wanted to, we would collect the money ourselves.

"Surely the people of Burnley can support Burnley ShopMobility without them having to come here?"

Gordon Kirkham, chairman of Burnley ShopMobility, said: "We were asked by Morrisons to provide facilities for disabled people to shop in the store over Christmas and invited back to carry out the collection.

"We have notified the store of how much we have collected and it is up to the store if they publicise the amount. I do not think it is politically correct for us to to do that. I think it would just cause further aggravation. "Bolton knew about this collection. Just because they have a communication problem themselves does not mean I have to carry the can for them.

"I don't know what they are whingeing about. They were offered a collection day by the store and they did not take the opportunity up."

Bill Clynes, general manager of the Morrison's store, stressed his main concern was to ensure all in-store collections were for registered charities and that the collectors were not being paid.

He added: "The man I spoke to about this said Bolton ShopMobility was aware of the collection and that they had been offered a donation. That's the only conversation I had on the subject."

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