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'Chuggers' could face clampdown | Worcester Standard

'Chuggers' could face clampdown

By Tim Clarke 08/03 Updated: 12/03 10:41
'NUISANCE' charity fund-raisers who approach city centre shoppers could face stricter rules governing their behaviour.
Coun Jabba Riaz, chairman of the licensing committee at Worcester City Council, has called for a meeting with local and national charities to discuss the behaviour of so-called 'charity muggers' or 'chuggers' who operate in Worcester.
In a letter to the Standard Coun Riaz said he had received reports of people avoiding the city centre for fear of being approached by persistent street fund-raisers.
His concerns come in the wake of action taken by Gloucester and Burnley city councils, who have drawn up voluntary agreements with charities stopping fund-raisers from collecting on certain days of the week.
Coun Riaz said: "We at Worcester face similar issues where often the High Street on most days has collectors in various forms. I have heard of people who avoid the city centre for fear of being approached by sometimes persistent collectors and this no doubt has affected businesses in these tough economic times."
National charities make large sums of money from street fund-raisers who do not need a licence because they are not collecting money from the public.
But although the city council cannot enforce a ban on 'chuggers' it could look to pursue a voluntary agreement similar to those in place in Gloucester and Burnley.
A clampdown on street fund-rasiers received support from Standard readers on our Facebook page.
Discover History's Paul Harding, who runs historic walking tours of the city, said: "It needs stopping. They even stopped my walking tour as we went past looking at the history of Worcester."
Another reader Al Terry added: "These people make money out of harassing others, charity is meant to be from the good of your own heart. Some of these people can be quite unkind when you tell them no. I have even been physically obstructed by them before."
Coun Riaz said he would be asking Worcestershire Regulatory Services to draw up a report to present to the next licensing committee


Read more: 'Chuggers' could face clampdown | Worcester Standard

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