Grade to head charity cold call watchdog

FORMER Channel 4 boss Michael Grade will today be named as the first head of the new charity fundraising watchdog.

Lord Grade is the interim chairman of the Charity Fundraising Regulator, which will have responsibility for cracking down on dodgy fundraising practices exposed by the Daily Mail.

The regulator will be funded by a levy on charities and set tough standards for how money can be raised.

It will have the power to ban charities seeking donations while under investigation. Failure to comply will lead to a Charity Commission referral and ‘draconian’ punishments.

Lord Grade, who will be charged with setting up the new body, said: ‘The people of Britain are among the most charitable on Earth. I intend to work with charities to ensure that this trust is not abused.’

In May, a Daily Mail undercover investigation exposed how rogue operators used ‘immoral’ techniques, including extracting donations from vulnerable dementia patients.