FIRE bosses have hit out after a charity clothes collection bank was set alight.

A crew from Bury fire station attended the collection point in Andrew Street at about 6.45am today. 

Carl Bostock, crew manager from Bury fire station, said that someone had set alight to something and posted it into the collection bank.

The contents of the bank, which about half full, were destroyed.

Crew manager Bostock said: “The fire being inside the collection bank made it quite difficult for us to put out the fire, so we had to force it open, which is not something we like to do with the clothes being for charities, but we had no option.

“It is such a shame, because that will cost a charity a lot of money.”