Jobsworth shopping centre security guards in Canterbury have ordered two teenage Poppy Appeal collectors off the premises.

Air Cadets Christopher Salmon and Hannah Young-Browne were told they couldn't collect outside the busy Tesco Metro store at Whitefriars.

Shopping centre bosses said its rules dictate only one charity per day is allowed to collect at the shopping centre.

And, on the day it happened, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds had already set up a display.

It left 312 Canterbury Air Training Corps members Christopher and Hannah in shock after being warned off on Saturday.

Hannah, 17, said: "We had just been standing there collecting for the appeal their security marched over to us told us we couldn't stand there and that it was private property.

"So we had to move off stand in Rose Lane."

The pair were in their ATC uniforms and holding collection tins plus trays of Royal British Legion poppies.

Christopher, 16, added: "It just seemed stupid to kick us off from collecting outside Tesco.

"After all, this is one of the most popular charities in the country and all we were trying to do was raise money on behalf of dead and injured servicemen."

Whitefriars opened in 2005 after a multi-million pound development of that area of Canterbury and is a massively popular area for shoppers.

It says it has set rules for charity collections on its property.

Martyn Barr, the spokesman for Whitefriars, said: "The normal Whitefriars policy is to limit charity collections to one per day, for both the charity's and customers' sakes.

"On this occasion we had already agreed to allow the RSPB to mount a display and collect.

"Had the British Legion or ATC asked us in advance, we would have been only too happy to allow them to collect in Whitefriars and planned things accordingly.

"Unfortunately, the security officers were unable to contact the duty manager for a decision and so could only respond with the agreed policy."

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