Recycled Clothes Fund Council

Clothes left at council recycling points are being resold in upmarket "vintage" shops, with a cut of the profits going in to council coffers.

An investigation by a Sunday newspaper has revealed that clothes left at recycling points operated by Waste Aware are being sold in "trendy boutiques" and "fashionable stores".

Councils in the county have removed charity clothes banks and signed deals with recycling companies to run replacement banks and sell the clothes on the open market, netting some £160,000 for the councils.

Residents are advised to take unwanted clothes directly to charity shops rather than using the council recycling points.