A CHARITY shop in the district has drawn-up a list of ‘prohibited items’ after an upsurge in goods it’s unable to sell.

The Sue Ryder outlet in Cavendish Street, Keighley, says damaged and other unsellable items are being left outside the premises.

And the charity is even having to fork out to dispose of some products.

A wide range of unlikely items that the shop has listed as unable to be sold include everything from exercise bikes to ammunition.

Hazel Abbott, the shop’s assistant manager, praised the generosity of those who support the shop – but urged people to be more selective in what they donate.

She said: “People in the Keighley area are massively generous and we really do appreciate their donations, however we are getting a lot of unsellable stock."

Possible reasons for the increasing problem include the move to less frequent bin collections from houses, she said.

“This seems to have become more of a problem since refuse collections for residential properties were reduced in frequency.

“Also, people are leaving items after hours which end-up all over the car park and wet, and we have to dispose of them. This is actually classed as fly-tipping and people could be prosecuted.

“We don’t want to stop people donating, but we would ask them please not to leave things we can’t sell and if unsure just check with us first.”

Items on the prohibited list include;

lFurniture/homeware – upholstered furniture without a fire label or with damage/missing parts which make it unsafe; furniture with glass that doesn’t have a kite mark; candles without instructions; used duvets and pillowcases; soiled/dirty mattresses.

lSafety equipment – crash, cycle and safety helmets and riding hats; climbing equipment; buoyancy aids, life jackets and inflatable dinghies; mobility items such as wheelchairs,walkers and bath aids.

lSports equipment – exercise bikes, rowing machines, treadmills and cross trainers.

lElectrical items – laptops, personal computers and tablets; electric blankets; sunbeds and tanning equipment; white goods and microwaves; personal hygiene items, shavers and foot spas; power tools.

lMedia – home-recorded DVDs; R18 DVDs and Blue-Ray.

lChildren’s items – cot bumpers and cot and pram mattresses; children’s pillows; cribs, cradles and reclined cradles; carry cots and stands; table-mounted chairs; playpens and baby baths, bouncers and walkers; toys without a CE mark; skateboards and roller skates; shoes (soft-bottomed pram shoes can be sold); clothing with hood cords; nightwear and fancy dress not labelled as fire resistant; car and booster seats; child seats for cycles.

lSharps/weapons – sharp knives; swords; crossbows and catapults; guns or realistic replica toy guns; ammunition; sharp gardening tools; any other weapons.

lOther – chemical items; hot water bottles; smoking-related items such as ashtrays; food or perishables; unsealed cosmetics.