Charity collector from Lytham who stole more than £500,000 says he wants to 'carry on fundraising'

A "charity collector" who dressed as Pudsey bear in order to steal more than £500,000 from the public says he wants to continue fundraising "once my conditions end".

David Levi, 48, from Blackpool, who was a part of a larger group of fraudsters was jailed in December 2023 for five years for his part in the fundraising scam.

The court heard how the conman splashed out on a luxury cars and holidays after posing as a fundraiser for charities including BBC Children In Need, The Christie, and other charities.

Levi, of St Davids Road South, Lytham, even dressed up in a Pudsey Bear suit and produced fake badges and marketing material to make his scam appear legitimate.

When he was caught, he claimed he had made his wealth through escorting, and was lucky at casinos and bookies.

He was handed a Serious Crime Prevention Order after he admitted fraud and money laundering at Preston Crown Court. The order prohibits him from any fundraising activities for five years - or risk being returned to prison.

Now, a regulator has warned organisations to take steps to ensure fundraising activitiescarried out in their name are "open, honest and legal", after this gang of collectors cheated charities out of more than £500,000 intended for good causes.

But in emails to the BBC, following his conviction, he said he enjoys raising money for good causes and "fully intends" to fundraise again in the future.

"I can make a grand a week," he told officers upon his arrest.

In reality, the court heard he targeted supermarkets to make "bucket collections" which had not been authorised.

During the police investigation into the gang, Levi was asked to account for the money he had spent as none of it had been declared to HMRC.

Levi said that he had been working as an escort but was too embarrassed to declare the money. He also said he had inherited £100,000 from his father.

Levi was also asked about 196 cash deposits totalling £47,835.55 which were made to his Santander account between 2011 and 2017.

He said he "can't remember at this moment" where that cash had come from.

The biggest loser was the BBC, whose Children in Need charity lost out on £47,000 donated by kind-hearted members of the public.

In an email exchange from behind bars, Levi denied being a scammer and claimed he and his six co-defendents simply pocketed expenses for their fundraising activities - which "ran into thousands".

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