The William Aldridge Foundation

The growing scourge of genuine Forces Support and Military Charities are the 'wannabe' or 'bogus' soldiers who prey on the goodwill and generosity of the general public by fraudulently obtaining donations given honourably in support of our Armed Forces for their own personal use and/or financial gain!

Not only displaying an outright level of disrespect for the sacrifices made daily by our Armed Forces and their families, but committing more than one criminal offence to boot. (FRAUD and IMPERSONATING A MEMBER OF HM ARMED FORCES)

One such shocking case very publically came to light only this year, where the BOGUS ROYAL MARINE received a hefty prison sentence for defrauding members of the public in the name of collecting for HELP FOR HEROES....

www.bbc.co.uk/news/10295484

www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/0...ndo-115875-22288763/



THE LAW on impersonating a member of HM Armed Forces
Pages 38 - 41 of the following document (Statute Law Repeals Bill 2008) make for interesting reading regarding the impersonating of a member of HM Armed Forces with reference to various Armed Forces Acts, Criminal Justice Acts & Repeals i.e. Seaman's and Soldier's False Character Act 1906, Criminal Justice Act 2003, Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, Armed Forces Act 2006 etc.

www.lawcom.gov.uk/docs/lc308_notes.pdf

The unauthorised wearing of military uniform remains an offence pursuant to the Uniforms Act 1894
Please see UK Statute Law Database reference below:
www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegTy...5&filesize=10528

The impersonating of soldiers, sailors, airmen and alike seems to be made even easier with the use of social networking sites, where the stealing of photographs, genuine soldiers' identities, the falsifying of information, fake profiles and the ease with which, what looks to be a genuine Forces Support Group or Charity can be set up without any formal/structured monitoring or proper registration/security measures, is fast becoming the bain of GENUINE Forces Charities and Support Groups.

Members of the public simply have to be vigilant, relying on their wits and gut instinct!

How do we effectively implement changes in the law to stop this happening? Should impersonating a member of HM Armed Forces carry a greater sentence to act as a deterrent?

Have your say HERE.....

good so he should be!

Personally, I'd just set the soldiers on him, and save the prison cell, care and food!

.... or be made to pay back all the money and have do 100's of hours of community service - perhaps giving a year of his life to a Forces Charity? (nowhere near any money though!) .... or better still ... send him to the Front Line to find out what it's really like to be a soldier - maybe he'd learn to have a little more RESPECT!!!

Sadly there are no longer any deterrents in this country to stop people committing crimes! Three meals a day, no bills, TV, Games Room, Gym, Library, study for a university degree, someone to do your laundry etc ..... who wouldn't want to do a stint in prison?????

bloody walter mitteys, wannabes, but this guy is taking money from great charities there is no punishment bigger enough for this guy