The number of complaints about street fundraisers has fallen in the past year, after councils signed up to a voluntary agreement to improve standards.

The Making the Pledge agreement was set up last year between councils and the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA) following concerns over the behaviour of some chuggers.

A survey conducted by the Local Government Association (LGA) has found the voluntary has helped reduce complaints by nearly two-thirds in some areas. It found that 72% of areas with agreements saw a reduction in the number of complaints, with 95% saying they would recommend the agreement to other local authorities.

Mehboob Khan, chair of the LGA's Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: ‘Charity donors recruited on the street give around £45 million a year for charity, but councils know that residents can feel pressured by the aggressive behaviour and sheer volume of some face-to-face fundraisers. This can put people off visiting high streets and result in a loss of trade for business.

‘Councils have had limited opportunities to tackle these problems, so we set out to work with the PFRA to improve the standards of fundraising, enabling this valuable money to continue to be raised for charities while causing less of a local nuisance. It is encouraging that these agreements are already having a real impact within communities in reducing complaints.’

Sally de la Bedoyere, PFRA chief executive, said: ‘Our agreements with councils are proven to improve the professional standards of fundraisers and bring down the number of complaints going to local authorities.’