Town centre roadworks have been blamed for a major shortfall of donations at a Farnham charity shop.

The Cancer Research UK store opposite Elphicks in West Street has seen donations tumble since South East Water closed the main road through Farnham in January.

Keith Burbidge, who has worked as a volunteer in the shop since 2019, noticed an immediate change directly the roadworks entered the current stage.

“Within a fortnight the donations had reduced by 90 per cent – when even during the Covid restrictions the shop was always very well supplied,” he said.

“Our donation storage bins are usually overflowing and occasionally we have to move stock elsewhere to keep the workroom clear.

“Just recently the number of donations has increased slightly, but are still about 75 per cent less than normal.”

Shop manager Matthew Grenham said: “We thank our loyal customers for supporting us – we had a quantity of seasonal stock from last year but what we really need now are donations of ladies’ summer clothing.”

Donations can be dropped off at the shop. Call 01252 712133 for more details.