Shoppers have been outraged to see piles of clothes discarded next to donation bins at a supermarket in Swindon.

Locals took to social media to express their disgust at the sight of bags full of clothes and loose items scattered next to The Salvation Army donation bins just outside Tesco Extra on Ocotal Way.

While some people argued that those donating items were simply trying to do a good deed for charity, others said people dumping clothes were irresponsible and there were no excuses for the unpleasant site.

Garry said: “Why do people think the clothes will be worth money to a charity when left on the floor in all weather? Sadly this is the reason the shops stopped having recycling bins on site as people would fly-tip around them.

“When I took a picture, another car pulled up and just threw their bag on top of the pile. Fly-tipping is out of control.

“I think most people will queue to get rid of rubbish but when you can’t get in the gate, people will pay anyone with a van to remove it.”

One person said: “Fly-tipping while pretending to care about charity is hilarious. It’s not the charity’s fault at all, if the bins are full then take your stuff elsewhere.”

And another comment read: “Rather than driving to the supermarket and putting clothes by an already full bin, why not drive to a charity shop and give them the clothes? It works for me. If you are out driving around, one more place to visit isn’t too much of a problem, is it?”

“Saw this yesterday, it’s disgusting, then you will get people ripping the bags open to see what they can take”, added another person.

But one person said: “The bins need emptying frequently to hopefully put a stop to this. The clothes will be fine, give them a wash and someone will be grateful for them.”

Some also suggested a donation locator app to help people choose empty bins in Swindon, highlighting that they had seen items dumped on the floor next to clothing bins at the Fire Station and other supermarkets.   

Meanwhile, one person warned others to expect a financial penalty if caught, saying: “It’s actually classed as fly-tipping, a friend of mine left bags on the floor by the bins and she was picked up on CCTV and issued a fine.”