VETERAN poppy collector Nesta Heath, whose father died fighting in the First World War, boycotted her church's Remembrance Day service after learning it keeps the collection.

Mrs Heath, 74, said it is the first time in almost a decade she and husband Kenneth, 83, who served in the Army in World War Two, have failed to attend the service at All Saints Church, in Sutton Benger.

She said she assumed the cash collected at the service each Remembrance Sunday was donated to the Royal British Legion, and was devastated when she discovered this was not so.

"I am very, very hurt," said Mrs Heath. "The church is one of the richest organisations in the country and we're just talking about donating the money from one service."

The vicar of All Saints' Church, the Rev Geoff Hewitt, said he sympathised with Mrs Heath, but insisted that in his 30 years of ministration he had never heard of a church giving its collection to the legion, or any other charity.

"Sunday collections cover a large part of the running costs of the church," he said.

The Heaths were not the only villagers upset. Pensioners Derek and Ruby Ferris, of High Street, said they too had been shocked.

"In the past, our collections have been donated to charities like Burton House and the African Water Appeal, so we can't see why people who fought for us in the war cannot benefit from our donations too," said Mrs Ferris.

And Janet Leighfield, 72, of Chestnut Road, added: "Out of 52 weeks in the year, you would think that this one service could go to the Royal British Legion.

"I for one, made sure that when the collection plate came around, I did not put in any money, but put my donation straight into the poppy box instead."

County Royal British Legion chairman Ken Hall said in his experience most Wiltshire churches give some kind of donation to the Poppy Appeal.