A CHARITY has apologised to residents in the Swindon area after it failed to collect the donation bags it sent out because their driver got lost.

Residents in Lady Mead, Cricklade, complained that items such as books that had been put in the plastic sacks had been ruined after being left in the rain.

The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals handed out a number of collection bags in the Swindon area, which were scheduled to be picked up on Monday. Shobby Patel, a spokeswoman for the PDSA, said: "We did distribute a number of sacks from our Knowle shop, just outside Bristol, to Swindon.

"Unfortunately the driver was new to the area and a number of them have not been collected.

"We are very sorry. We never turn donations away."

Lady Mead resident Fran Birch said: "It's crazy, it's all going to waste. There's bags just sitting there."