HISTORIC laws governing house to house and street collections are to be strengthened in Fenland and it could mean some charities are refused consent. The district council s licensing committee has approved revised codes of conduct which set out in graphic

HISTORIC laws governing house to house and street collections are to be strengthened in Fenland and it could mean some charities are refused consent.

The district council's licensing committee has approved revised codes of conduct which set out in graphic details the rules by which charities collect money.

However the new procedures allow the council to refuse an application for a house to house collection if the total amount going to charity is not considered high enough.

Collections will also be banned if "the promoter or a collector or any other person is likely to receive remuneration that is excessive in relation to the total amounts received."

Anyone with previous convictions is also likely to be refused permission to undertaken collections and the council has also set out the terms under which a licence can be revoked.

So far as street collections are concerned, the council's licensing officer, Lin Bangwell, says collectors must be properly authorised and money must be collected in a secure way.

A guide listing the 18 dos' and don'ts of street collections has been issued and include the restriction that no collection "shall be made in a manner likely to inconvenience or annoy any person."

Collectors must also remain stationary and no more than two collectors will be able to stand together and "shall not be nearer than 25 metres to other collectors."

And within a month of street collectors, the organisers have been told they must complete a return to the council listing payments and expenses, total proceeds, a list of collectors and the amounts contained in each collecting box.

The council is also insisting that organisers place an advertisement in the press giving concluding details of the collection which have been verified by an accountant.