Chandler's Ford residents are being warned not to be taken for a ride over a plea to donate unwanted clothes for people in the Third World.

Leaflets from a company called Olonex Ltd have already been delivered to homes in Corinthian Road.

But Eastleigh Council's Chandler's Ford and Hiltingbury local area co-ordinator Andy Milner is warning residents to be on their guard.

Warnings about the company have been posted on the Internet from as far afield as Walsall, Coventry and Oxfordshire, following worries that leaflets could mislead people into believing they were supporting a charity.

In July this year the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham issued a news release saying that investigations by its trading standards officers had found donated clothes were being sold on - at a profit.

The London borough said Olonex had been distributing a carefully worded leaflet to give residents the impression they were donating to charity. But a careful check of the fine print revealed that clothes were actually being sold at "affordable prices".

The leaflet being circulated in Chandler's Ford does make it clear that Olonex is a commercial organisation and not a charity.

The information is contained in the small print at the bottom of the leaflet which asks: "Can you spare any of your old unwanted clothes which will be sent to the Third World where the garments will be carefully sorted and worn again?"

Chairman of the Local Area Committee Councillor Godfrey Olson raised his concerns after hearing leaflets were circulating locally.

He told the Daily Echo: "I was certainly very concerned about it because I wouldn't want to feel that people were being misled by a persuasive leaflet."

He added: "If people do have surplus clothing I'm sure it would be much better for them to donate it to registered and well-known charities."

The Daily Echo was unable to contact Olonex Ltd at its registered office in Butler Road, north London.