A man is due in court after a charity collection point was ransacked at a Nottingham student complex.
The donation bank (pictured) was installed at York House, in Mansfield Road, as part of the British Heart Foundation’s ‘Pack for Good’ campaign, which invites students to donate unwanted clothing.
The donated items are then recycled or sold in the foundation’s retail shops, driving revenue for the charity.
On 22 May this year, police received a report of a man entering the accommodation and fishing items out of the collection point.
He then spent several minutes deciding which clothes to steal, before putting on a pair of jogging bottoms, a shirt and cap – all in full view of students entering and leaving the complex.
He then walked out whilst carrying a bundle of other clothes picked out from the donation point.
CCTV footage was provided to Nottinghamshire Police and a suspect was subsequently identified by a Police Community Support Officer.
An arrest took place on Saturday (30 August) after officers located the suspect in Clifton.
Lee Love, of Friar Lane, Nottingham, has been charged with theft by finding. The 46-year-old was granted bail and is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 19 September.
PCSO Martin Fisher, who has led the investigation, said:
“It is always disappointing when an individual steals from charity for their own gain.
“This was brazen offending in full view of students, who rightly expect their donations to reach the intended recipient.
“There can be no excuse for such offending and it will not be tolerated.”
