Gardaí issue warning against bogus charity collectors

GARDAÍ issued a warning last night about bogus collectors who are cynically using a leading Cork charity to target the public.

Two young girls with fake collection boxes were reported to gardaí after they knocked on doors in the Ballyphehane area over the last two nights posing as SHARE collectors.

The charity which works with Cork’s elderly has become synonymous with Christmas in the city.

SHARE said last night that the two young girls who targeted homes in the Connolly Road area were unauthorised collectors.

“SHARE would like to reiterate that our collectors only collect on the streets of Cork from December 15 until Christmas Eve,” a spokesperson said. “They never collect door-to-door or in outlying areas and the public should not support anyone who comes to their home.”

Gardaí at Togher are investigating the incident. No arrests have been made.

A garda spokesman said anyone knocking on doors in the Ballyphehane area collecting for SHARE was in breach of the House to House Collections Act. He appealed to people to report such activity to the gardaí immediately.

SHARE, meanwhile, said the only place people can make donations to the charity are at the cribs in the city’s shopping centres at Mahon Point, Douglas Court, Douglas Village, Bishopstown Court, Wilton, Merchants Quay and Blackpool.