Officers in the Vale of Glamorgan are warning business owners to be vigilant of bogus charity collectors. This warning follows a number of incidents in Dinas Powys and Penarth.

The warning follows a theft of a mobile phone which took place on May the 25th on Cardiff Road, Dinas Powys.

A woman reported that a man claiming to be a charity collector came into her place of work asking for donations but while there her Samsung Galaxy S7 mobile was taken.

The suspect is described as a white man of medium build, in his 40s with dark short hair. He was carrying a clipboard and claimed to be raising money on behalf of a deaf charity. He is described as wearing a black gilet, T-shirt and jeans.

A similar incident to this also took place in Penarth.

PC Robin Mellor said: "We have had two similar recent reports of bogus charity collectors going into businesses and asking staff for money in the Dinas Powys and Penarth areas.

"There are, of course, many genuine charity collectors out there but we would remind people that they should make sure they confirm the identity of any callers and the legitimacy of the charity. Before you part with any information please ask to see their identification and make sure that you are satisfied with it.

"If anyone has any doubts then they should contact the police immediately so checks can be carried out to confirm the validity of the callers."

The police have listed a number of ways to protect yourself against collectors:

• Ask to see the identification of the fundraiser if you are asked to make a donation in person. All legitimate charity fundraisers carry official identification when fundraising. Make sure you are satisfied the identification is genuine.
• All charities have to be registered with the Charity Commission. Check if a charity is registered with them by visiting the Charity Commission's website.
• Don't give out personal information and bank details to make a regular donation unless you are satisfied the person you are talking to is genuine. You can always phone the charity back on a known phone number published on the charity's official website.
• You can contact the local authority or police to check whether the collector has been given a licence to collect.
• Watch out for poor grammar and spelling in documents such as collection envelopes.