City of London Police officers have arrested four men they believe are behind theft and fraudulent deception involving bags of second hand clothes left out for charities to collect.

Gangs simply steal the bags before the charity collect or present themselves as a charity to solicit donations. The clothes are then sold for a profit on the streets of Eastern Europe. More than 30 police officers raided a depot on the Rainham Industrial Estate in Essex in September and seized £20,000 in cash, charity bags and computers.

The fraud is estimated to cost charities up to £50 million a year.