BOGUS charity collectors have been dropping leaflets in the Okehampton area, appealing for old clothes for the Third World. The leaflets ask residents: 'Can you spare any of your old unwanted clothes which will be sent to the Third World where the garments will be carefully sorted and worn again?' One leaflet appeals to people: 'Please help those who really need your support!'. Another promises: 'God Will Reward You For Your Good Hearts.' However, the clothes collectors are not from charities, but from commercial organisations, which resell the items for profit. The Charities Commision is appealing to people to beware of such collectors, who give the impression of charity. Spokesperson Grace Money said: 'If you want to make sure your clothes go to genuine charities, check the leaflet for a registered charity number. If you're in any doubt, take second-hand goods to your local charity shop.' One problem for the commision is that the collection companies are not breaking the law, unless they specifically mention the word 'charity' on their leaflets. However, Grace Money said 'the language used in these sort of leaflets can be misleading and the recipient assumes it's a charity because it uses wording like "helping people".' Betty Friendship, of Okehampton, made just that mistake. 'I got a leaflet asking for clothes to help the Third World and so I left out two whole bags of things, including a lot of new stuff,' she said. 'Then a few days later, I got another leaflet, and I thought it was strange that any charity would send out two leaflets so close together.' Betty then saw a news report, stating that bogus charity collectors were operating in Cornwall, and realised that the same, or a similar, company had moved into Devon too. 'I do feel annoyed — I wanted to support them because I thought they were a charity helping people in the Third World,' she said. The Association of Charity Shops has estimated that misleading door-to-door clothing collections cost bona fide charities such as Oxfam and Help the Aged a minimum of £2,000,000 per annum in lost revenue. If in doubt about the legitimacy of any clothing collectors operating in the area, please call the Charities Commision on 0845 3000 218.