Wallingford people’s massive response to a plea for Treats For The Troops at Christmas will never be sent and will never get to our armed forces.

The Ministry of Defence has stated it is too dangerous to get the goods to the troops and that lots of parcels being sent to unnamed personnel generally hold up personal gifts being sent by families.

Getting the gifts to the battle front also means more ‘planes and helicopters being used, putting their crews in extra danger. And that decree by the Ministry of Defence has given organisers in Wallingford Rotary a headache over what to do with the gifts.

Marilyn Dyer-Lynch, the former International Group chairman with Wallingford Rotary who is helping with the parcels, said: “People have responded very generously.

“But now we cannot get the gifts out to the troops and we are trying to find somewhere to send them instead. We are looking to help the Salvation Army, the Oxford Emmaus group, Shelter and other charities.

“It is very, very disappointing. We did not know about the Ministry of Defence’s stance on this issue until we had sent out our appeal which appeared in the Wallingford Herald.

“All the gifts given will go to a good home, but it is not what the gifts were given for.

“We wanted them to go to the troops just the same as we did last Christmas and at Easter.

“We had many, many letters back both from serving soldiers and those who had received gifts while being treated in hospital.

“We felt we were doing something worthwhile and I know people who gave to the appeal felt the same.

“If we can find a way of getting things out to the troops we will do so but it won’t be via the Ministry of Defence.”

She said: “We understand the reasoning behind the decree but that does not make it any less of a disappointment.”

James Shelley, director of news for the MoD, said: “We recognise and acknowledge with gratitude the huge desire of members of the public to support our personnel on operations.

“Servicemen and women value the knowledge that comparative strangers are thinking of them. But the MoD has examined the impact on the supply chain of accepting parcels to unnamed personnel and concluded it cannot be supported.

“This is because the supply chain in an operational theatre is extremely constrained and, at times, dangerous, especially in Afghanistan where the last leg of the journey is usually by helicopter.”

He said the priorities must be personal mail from families, ammunition, medical supplies, food and equipment.

Putting on extra helicopters and ‘planes increases the risk of a disaster, he said.

He said: “We are not being spoilsports or slapping the public in the face.

“We are grateful for people’s support and hope people will understand why we have had to do this.”

A letter from the MoD explaining the decision has been put into Wallingford’s town information centre where the boxes were to be left.

One woman leaving her boxes at the centre at the weekend said: “It’s a great pity but we don’t want our gifts to be the cause of a terrorist attack on our troops. I hope Rotary can find a good home for them but it’s not what we intended when we put the food and clothing gifts together.”

John Peterson, 63, from Benson said: “We read about the appeal in the Wallingford Herald and wanted to do a bit for our brave people out there at Christmas.

“It’s such a disappointment.”