Charity Commission probes military charity after public raise concerns

A military charity helping veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder is being investigated by the Charity Commission and has been ordered to suspend fundraising.

The charity regulator said it had launched an inquiry into Support the Heroes on November 10 to investigate concerns raised by the public.

The Charity Commission said there were concerns over the activities of a professional fundraiser at the two-year-old charity, and ordered that its assets be frozen.

A spokesman said: "The commission has directed the charity to suspend fundraising activities until further notice.

"The decision to open the statutory inquiry follows on from the commission's recent preliminary investigation into the charity's activities."

The Mail on Sunday reported that the charity pays one third of everything it raises to a professional fundraising company.

Financial statements show that for the year ending March 2016, the charity raised nearly £120,000 and donated two-thirds of that to charities.

Among the charities receiving donations are Combat Stress, Blind Veterans UK, Royal British Legion, British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association and Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association.

The charity said false accusations have been made in an attempt to discredit its fundraising activities.

It stresses it is a "real charity", and is "registered and compliant with the Charity Commission and its guidelines".

It said on its website: "It is not a 'fake charity'. It is not and never has been a 'fraud charity'. All contributions are accounted for, none are or ever have been misappropriated."

The Mail on Sunday quoted a trustee as saying that Support the Heroes had not broken any charity rules.