Charity scammers were targeting homes in Bexleyheath this morning (March 25), pretending to be fundraising for injured troops.

Several ‘Troop Aid’ bags were distributed in Normanhurst Avenue, asking for donations of clothes, shoes, toys and toiletries to be left on the street on Friday from 8am.

A spokesman from Midlands Textile Ltd confirmed the bags were fake, and using an old Union Jack design.

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Lesnes Abbey councillor Danny Hackett said: “I do not know how you can live with yourself after doing this.

“It’s a vital funding stream for these charities.

“If someone gets scammed once it will stop them wanting to donate to charity again.”

Cllr Hackett urged people not to donate to the fake cause after watching a man deliver bags to every house on the street.

He said: “It’s quite a prolific area for charities to target. There are quite a lot of middle class pensioners who will donate.

“I wanted to raise some awareness.”

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Cllr Hackett described the collections as “low level criminal activity”, with the scammers selling the clothes for scraps.

He added: “They get next to nothing for it.”

The Midlands Textile Ltd collection manager said: “The old style bags did have a Union Jack but the new style bags are different to the ones that were distributed.

"We are currently working with five different charities, but none of the bags for the charities that we work with are distributed in any London Boroughs."

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The new style of Troop Aid charity bags

Troop Aid is a registered charity in England and Wales, which was founded by three ex-servicemen in 2006.

They provide injured troops who return from war zones without their personal effects and clothing with essential items in ‘grab bags’.