The Air Ambulance Service donation bags criticised

The Air Ambulance Service, based in the midlands, has delivered the yellow bags to homes across Epping Forest, asking for clothes, shoes, bric-a-brac, books and music, under the slogan ‘keep our service saving lives’.

James Bullen, 23, who had one of the bags delivered to his home in Palmers Hill, Epping, said after some research, he realised the charity was not connected to the Essex Air Ambulance.

He said: “It didn’t show an address for the charity it claimed to come from.

“After some Googling, it turned out that it was based in a completely different area.

“It’s misleading and they’re trying to get money from people in Epping and this area when none of that money is actually going to the local emergency services.

“I would support Essex Air Ambulance and I’m sure there are many other people who would like to.”

The Essex Air Ambulance Service has said it has nothing to do with the bags and does not receive money through the collections.

The Air Ambulance Service operates the former Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance and the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance, as well as a helicopter to fly sick children between specialist hospitals.

It has been criticised by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance and the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, which claim its new name is confusing and fear it could lead to fewer local donations.

Charlotte Parker, a spokeswoman for The Air Ambulance Service, said: “We have two services in the midlands.

“Our third service is the Children’s Air Ambulance, which serves people across the whole of England.

“It’s for emergency transfer, so rather than going to accidents, it will pick up a child from one hospital and fly them to another.

“As the Children’s Air Ambulance, we’re fund raising across the country.”

She said the children’s service, which is based in Coventry, was launched a few weeks ago and had completed its first mission in Yorkshire.