Bogus callers hampering Wood Green's charity efforts

WOOD Green Animal Shelters is losing more than £100 a day after being forced to pull out of an area where conmen are posing as the charity s volunteers. The Godmanchester-based animal charity raises thousands of pounds through door knocking at towns an

WOOD Green Animal Shelters is losing more than £100 a day after being forced to pull out of an area where conmen are posing as the charity's volunteers.

The Godmanchester-based animal charity raises thousands of pounds through "door knocking" at towns and cities across the region.

But Wood Green has been forced out of parts of Norwich because there have been reports of two bogus officials knocking on a city door claiming to be from an animal charity in Cambridgeshire.

Wood Green has been successfully operating in the city for the past 18 months but following a police warning about rogue callers they have had to pull out from the NR4 postcode area.

Sharon Evans, director of fundraising for Wood Green, said: "Wood Green Animal Shelters relies entirely on support from the general public and unfortunately due to the negative reports regarding suggestions that there are 'bogus callers' we may lose a significant amount of money for the charity."

Since April Wood Green has recruited more than 3,600 new donors through door-to-door operations, providing more than £304,000 towards caring for the animals at its three shelters.

Nicola Bacon, press office for the charity, added: "It costs more £16,000 a day to run the charity with over 750 animals to care for at any one time.

"We have estimated we will be losing about £100 a day from this area and we will definitely not be able to fundraise there for a few months so this is a substantial loss.