Chepstow pub warns of charity scam

A Chepstow host has warned licensees to beware of bogus callers after receiving nine phone calls in one day from a "charity" asking for cash donations.

Ian Meyrick has been the licensee at the Coach & Horses in Chepstow, Monmouthshire for the past eight years. He says he has been plagued with such phone calls since he first opened the doors.

He said he had been phoned a total of nine times today by five different people, calling on behalf of the same organisation. They said they were "speaking on behalf of your police force", but when he asked them which force that was, he got a variety of answers, including one in Swansea, 100 miles from his pub. 

The callers said they wanted to include the pub in the police force magazine, sending best wishes to the local force. They said ads would range in price from £49 upwards, and asked for credit card details to confirm the sale. 

Meyrick said: "Once you start asking questions they hand up immediately. The worst thing is, newcomers to the trade could be suckered in by this con."