Anger at fundraising site

FUNDRAISING website Just Giving refused to back down last night in a row over it pocketing tens of thousands of pounds from a fund set up for the family of murdered PC Keith Palmer.

The public have given more than £702,000 to the fund for PC Palmer’s 34-year-old widow Michelle and their fiveyear-old daughter Amy.

But the site’s owners insist on retaining their standard 5% administration fee. It has donated £10,000 but, even after that, the site will net £25,000.

Last night, Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, which set up the fundraising page, said: ‘Do I like it? No I don’t. Would I want every penny paid into that fund to go PC Palmer’s family? Certainly I would.’ Meanwhile, concerns have now arisen that fraudsters could be preying on public sympathy by setting up bogus donation pages.

One page, set up for the family of one of the three pedestrians killed, teacher Aysha Frade, 43, was closed down after almost £9,000 had been raised amid fears that it was a con.