FLOWER sellers accused of making cash from sick babies in Burnley are being investigated by the Charity Commission.

The news comes as it was revealed today that a new rose seller operating in Burnley over the Christmas period has had her £50 donation to the General Hospital's special care baby unit returned with a "Thanks, but no thanks" response from health chiefs.

In September Robert Kinley, head of Bolton-based Petals, told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph that he would no longer claim to be making charity collections on the hospital's behalf at pubs and restaurants throughout the area, following complaints from care staff.

Last week Bolton housewife and former Petals employee Karen Walker said she had started selling flowers in Burnley pubs and had been given permission by a senior hospital manager to collect for baby care.

But health bosses acted swiftly to deny that any such approval had or would be given.

And today managers returned a £50 donation the 31-year-old mother-of-three had made to the hospital on Christmas Day.

At the same time the London-based Charity Commission said it had mounted a formal investigation into Petals which has operated in towns throughout Lancashire.

Spokesman Alex MacKay added that information was also being collected on Mrs Walker's activities.

He said: "Petals is not a registered charity, but we have jurisdiction over any monies collected in the name of charity.

"We collect evidence and work closely with police and the Crown Prosecution Service to pursue, through the courts if necessary, any money which is not used for the charitable purpose it was given." He added: "Petals is not a registered charity, but we have launched a formal inquiry."

Concern was raised over Petals by hospital workers who said the impression was being given by flower girls that all money from the sale of roses went to the baby intensive care unit.

They carried a laminated letter from Burnley Health Care Trust thanking Petals for the £100 donation made at the outset of its operation in the Burnley and Pendle area.

No further donation was made despite the sellers, said to be making £125 a night, being active in the area over several months.

Mrs Walker said she had worked for Petals for two months but quit because of the apparent lack of charitable donations.

She said her own family had benefited from care at the Burnley baby unit and it was her way of saying thanks.

The sale of flowers and the invitation to people to make donations would be quite separate, she added.

But Burnley Health Care Trust was swift to deny Mrs Walker's claim that she had been given the go-ahead to make collections in their name. "The manager she spoke to in fact told her no authority would be given, that she should not do it in the name of the baby unit or the hospital and not to go ahead," said a spokesman.

Today hospital spokesman Chris Allen stressed that no flower sellers had ever received authorisation.

"It is highly unlikely that such authorisation would be given because of the lack of accountability on such collections."

Mr Kinley, 40, who runs the Petals operation from his semi detached home in Bolton, said in September the hospital letter was not used to promote the sale of roses, only to show people who questioned his staff that money had, in fact, gone to the hospital.

He agreed that no donation had been made since the initial £100 in May and Burnley was due another donation.

The hospital this week confirmed that no further money had ever been received.

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