Heartless con men are stripping the North West Air Ambulance bare.

They're posing as collectors for the charity and stealing clothes donated by the public.

This is losing them around a thousand pounds a week and are even thinking of cancelling their own collections to try and flush out the illegal operation.

Charity Chief Executive Lynda Brislin said, “We are appalled that people are taking these clothes knowing full well they have been donated to a charity.

We are sadly thinking of taking the drastic measure of halting our collections for one month in the hope the police and trading standards officials could flush out the people who are hurting the charity financially. I am extremely saddened by this situation.”