Business leaders in Brighton and Hove have said they will fight for the toughest possible restrictions on face-to-face charity collectors who target shoppers.

They want to see tighter controls on fund-raisers - dubbed charity muggers or chuggers - who approach people in busy areas such as the North Laine in Brighton.

But they are worried the Charities Bill going through Parliament, which would regulate "chugging" more strictly, does not go far enough to protect traders.

Face-to-face fund-raisers earn up to £100 a day by trying to persuade people to make direct-debit contributions of up to £350 over five years to charitable causes.

Shopkeepers claim sales are badly hit when groups of fund-raisers work in the same street for long periods.

The Bill proposes organisers of face-to-face charity collections should have to apply for a public collections certificate from the Charity Commission.

The next stage would be for the organisation to apply to the local authorities in the areas they wanted to work for a permit to collect. Councils would have the right to refuse a permit.

It is unclear on what grounds councils would be able to refuse permits but business leaders fear most would find it difficult to impose blanket bans.

Tony Mernagh, executive director of Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said: "It is not clear whether the local authority will be able to impose conditions on the permits other than location and duration of collection.

"Councils will be in a difficult position because it is unlikely a blanket ban would go unchallenged.

"They will probably try to strike a balance between the numbers of chuggers and the right of the public to go about their business unmolested.

"It is important local authorities are fully informed of public opinion when issuing, or not issuing, permits. Businesses affected by chuggers must make their views known in the strongest terms.

"Having tried and largely failed to come to a voluntary agreement with these agencies, the Business Forum will be lobbying to try to impose the strictest possible limits on the future activity of face-to-face collectors."

July 5, 2005