"WE don't want your

rubbish."

That was the message from worried workers at charity shops across York, as it was revealed people were

dumping all manner of waste, including dirty

nappies, soiled knickers, used condoms, cooked spaghetti, and even a dead hamster.

Concerned St Leonard's Hospice chiefs said up to 70 per cent of the goods they take in from the general public are unusable.

It was a similar picture for the city's other leading

charities, as people took the opportunity to ditch their household waste at their door rather than take it to the tip.

Hospice retail manager Helen Moreton said she was amazed at some of the items donated to their shops. They have included a live bullet which was handed in to the police, and an old Second World War hand grenade, which fortunately turned out not to be live.

She said car boot enthusiasts were using the shops to dump the bric-a-brac they had not managed to sell.

"We get absolutely anything brought in, including a dead hamster on one occasion," Ms Moreton said.

"We are currently being used as a bit of a dumping ground. We're extremely grateful for what we get but our message is don't stop giving but just be more selective."

Colina Schofield, manager of Help The Aged, in Goodramgate, York, said they lost a considerable amount of money disposing of rubbish dumped on their doorstep.

She said volunteers had recently sifted through bags containing used incontinence pads, medication, glass

eyeballs and dentures.

"The public do support us, but we have a major problem disposing of rubbish," she said. "It costs us lots of money. Who wants to sell false teeth and glass eyeballs?"

Helen Woolnough, manager of the Oxfam shop, in Goodramgate, said about 50 per cent of their donations were unusable.

"We get half-empty bottles of shampoo and badly ripped clothing," she said. "We can only sell quality goods, so would ask that people sort through their donations first."

Janet Morley, the hospice's director of fundraising, said they lost money by having to dispose of household waste

"The words 'good quality' are the key to our success.

"There seems to be an increasing number of people who believe that giving to a charity shop is the same as throwing away unwanted rubbish. It is not. Our shops can only sell decent goods, and, if people dump their unwanted goods or

household rubbish on us indiscriminately, we are faced with several problems.

"We are very grateful to everyone who donates goods to our work in a thoughtful and generous way. It would be good if everyone followed their example."

Updated: 13:12 Saturday, May 20, 2006