a leeds charity shop is being forced to fork out hundreds of pounds after litterbugs keep targeting their premises.
Staff at the Mind branch, in Otley, are having to clear up dirty nappies, used needles and half-eaten food after yobs keep leaving piles of rubbish outside their store.
Workers are being forced to spend nearly every morning sifting through bin liners of rubbish that are being dumped alongside donations left by members of the public.
The mystery litterbugs started dumping their rubbish outside the shop on Boroughgate nearly a month ago.
The charity claims that the problem is costing them around £55 every morning to clear up the mess.
Manager Angela Jeavons told the YEP: “We are constantly turning up each morning to find rubbish consisting of dirty nappies, old rotten food and general rubbish that you would normally put in the rubbish bins.
“We’ve found everything you can think of and there was even a dead rat.
“It’s been absolutely unbelievable and I just can’t believe what we have had to contend with.
“It’s cost us about £55 every morning and it is eating into the charity.
“It stops you doing the work you are trying to do.
“It can literally be half a days takings.”
Over the weeks staff have had to explain to neighbouring shops and members of the public about the problem.
Angela said that the rubbish has even had an impact on the number of donations left by kind-hearted people to the shop.
She added: “It’s stopping people dropping things off and it is also putting people off coming into the shop.
“Some people have said really hurtful things because they think it is us leaving the rubbish outside.
The charity are now calling on the litterbugs to stop dumping rubbish outside the store and to think about the impact of their actions.
Angela added: “Mind would like to plead with people to think before they do this.
“Please, please, please think about what you are doing.
“We are just a small charity trying to help the community with distress and mental health needs.
“These people are really stopping us from doing all this good work.”
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