Bogus charity collectors picked the wrong man to approach when they visited a York pub.

For they chose Neil Hunter, deputy manager at a shop in Low Petergate run by Oxfam, the charity they falsely claimed to represent.

And York magistrates heard how he turned detective, tracking the two adult "collectors" through the pubs of Micklegate until they led him to the man who was organising their evening of crime, their father Eric Flowers.

He challenged the team, confiscated their boxes and badges, checked out their story, and handed all his evidence to the police.

His quick thinking earned him a commendation from York magistrates as they sentenced Flowers to 240 hours community service and ordered him to pay £70 costs.

Flowers, 47, of Parkmoore, Cragavan, County Armagh, pleaded guilty to going equipped to steal.

"Going round the pubs using the trust of ordinary people is a particular mean offence," magistrates told him.

"We would like to commend Mr Hunter who really did a very good job in breaking this deceit."

Mr Hunter, 44, said afterwards: "We're very pleased with the outcome. The public need to be able to trust people who are doing this. It was for the benefit of everyone that they were caught.

"We are always looking for volunteers and it's just a sad thing when all the volunteers at Oxfam give their time free to raise money for very good causes that people should be taking advantage in this way."

Mr Hunter had gone to the Windmill pub in Blossom Street with his fiance and manager Coral Renshaw-Smith on August 28 last year.

"We were having an after-work drink, unwinding, when these people came in shaking Oxfam collection boxes," he told the Evening Press.

"Straight away I was putting money in and saying we worked for Oxfam and asking them where they were from.

"But there was something evasive about them and they soon made their apologies and left quite quickly."

His fiancee became convinced the couple were not genuine, even though they had identity badges with pictures on.

So Mr Hunter went after them through Micklegate Bar and found them in Scruffy Murphy's.

"I asked them which office they were working from and who they were working for.

"They were very evasive so I took their collection boxes and identity badges off them.

"They told me to ask a man waiting in the car park opposite and I challenged him as well. He quoted names of people quite confidently and said he was from the Hull area. I'd never heard of them so I said I'd contact the people and forward the boxes on later."

When Mr Hunter contacted the Hull office they didn't know the conmen, so he handed over the boxes and badges to the police.

Prosecutor Angela Smith told magistrates police checks had revealed that Flowers had been an accredited collector for Oxfam, but had kept two tins after he stopped working for the organisation.

The collectors had netted £20 before they were caught.

For Flowers, Damien Morrison said he needed money to finance a return to Northern Ireland.

He had been in and out of prison since the early 60s but had not offended during 10 years in Northern Ireland.

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