Mound of rubbish dumped by 'Covidiots' outside Milton Keynes hospice charity shop

Hospice staff were dismayed to find the items outside its Bletchley shop over the weekend.

The store, along with other charity shops all over MK, has been forced to close during lockdown.

But none of the items dumped were fit to be sold anyway, say staff.

The pile, which includes old sofa cushions and a stained mattress, is so big that a vehicle must have been used to drop it off, and the hospice is hoping their CCTV will identify the culprits.

The charity is now appealing to people not to drop off their unwanted goods to shops when they are closed.

Associate Director of Retail, Mark Rawlins said: “This discovery is appalling. It’s not only an eyesore, but also creates a hazard for our staff who have

to clear it up, and people passing on the public highway.

Our shops have CCTV and clear signage warning people not to leave donations outside when we are closed. But these items are not even suitable for donation. They have clearly been fly-tipped by people who think it’s acceptable to leave them with a charity, rather than storing until the tips open."

Anyone caught fly-tipping could be prosecuted and face a hefty fine, or even imprisonment.

Although their shops are closed, the Hospice is encouraging local people to support their Sort-Save-Donate campaign. While they cannot accept any

donations at this time, they are asking anyone having a lockdown clear-out to save and store the items for the Hospice, ready to be donated when

they reopen.

The items will be vital to help the shops to get back up and running after a long pause in donations being received.

To find out more about what items the charity can accept, please visit www.willen- hospice.org.uk/donate-items