Man who donated clothes to charity 'violated' after spotting them again 45 minutes later

A man was left gobsmacked after claiming he spotted clothing he had donated to charity being sold on a nearby street less than an hour after his act of generosity. Jacob King took to TikTok showing his former possessions draped over railings outside a local Lidl supermarket.

His footage revealed an array of jackets and shirts up for grabs to any passerby, albeit with no seller in sight in the clip. "Point of view: you donate clothes to charity and 45 minutes later they're being sold outside Lidl," Jacob penned in a caption accompanying his video. "I respect the hustle, but this felt kind of violating."

The scene left viewers baffled, prompting them to probe for more info. One asked Jacob: "Did you dump the clothes outside or actually take them into a charity shop to be sold?"

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Another echoed the confusion, asking: "Donated how? If you left a bag with clothes in outside of a shop they are very liable to be taken."

Whilst a third person pointed out: "That's why you should give your donations when the shop is open and not left outside."

In response to the flurry of questions, Jacob clarified, however: "Lots of people are asking the same question so I'll answer it just once. I put the clothes in a charity donation box, which someone has then reached into."

Others defended the alleged actions of the street-seller though, pointing out: "Isn't that the whole point? Donate them so someone less fortunate can benefit from them in some way?"

A second TikTok user noted: "To be fair this is technically what you gave the clothes away for, is it not? That person clearly needs the money more than a charity shop, who's CEO likely has a triple figure salary. Sod it. It's not the charity you intended but it helps someone living in your community."

Whilst a third individual confessed their mixed feelings: "They must be very needy, but seeing your old stuff like that on display is a bit off-putting."

The Textile Recycling Association reports that charities have suffered significant financial losses due to the theft of entire clothing banks from car parks.

The TRA notes that the cost of replacing a stolen bank can reach £1,500, with the total expense for its members potentially hitting £1 million.