The St Vincent de Paul store on Keppel Street is among a number of charity stores in the city that have in the past been targeted by people looting donations left for those in need.

Bathurst Vinnies centre co-ordinator Bernie Sinclair said even though the store’s five large outside donation bins are cleared daily, they are quickly filled by people leaving further goods.

On Monday, volunteers arrived to find clothes, toys and other donated goods strewn around the loading dock and street at the rear entrance of the store, with bags ripped open and some items damaged.

Despite the mess and clean up conducted by volunteers, Ms Sinclair remained positive.

“People on the whole are very very good. Unfortunately once they bins are full they can’t fit them in,” she said of the donations.

“The bins do get cleared on the weekend, [but] we just can’t keep up with it.”

The Western Advocate reported on January 5 this year that vandals had rifled through donated clothes left outside the Vinnies store, again leaving many of them strewn across the car park.

Some items were also urinated on.

Unfortunately for the volunteers, Ms Sinclair said this usually occurs every couple of months.

She said donations left outside are subject to rain, heavy frosts or dew and when vandals rifle through the items and leave them on the road cars have then driven over them.

Many items are then not able to be sold.

Ms Sinclair said while Monday’s mess was inconvenient to volunteers who had to clean it up, she praised the Bathurst community for its ongoing support.

“People dropping off the donations are doing a good thing because it helps people who are homeless or who need welfare or care and support,” she said.

Donations can be left at the Vinnies store at 55 Keppel Street from 9.30am until 2.30pm weekdays.

Small donations are accepted from 9.30am to 12.30pm each Saturday.