Tax officials banned from giving toys to charity

Inland Revenue staff have been banned from donating toys to a children’s charity because of its Christian links, a leaked memo has revealed.

Employees were told that they must not give any ‘shoe box’ gifts to Operation Christmas Child because the charity also distributes bible stories.

The ban, imposed by HM Revenue Customs, was said to conflict with the Inland Revenue’s diversity policy after objections from trade union officials.

The Revenue’s 100,000 employees have supported Operation Christmas Child, in association with Samaritan’s Purse, since the late 1990s.

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A spokesperson for the Revenue said: “We have very clear workplace policies regarding the importance of valuing difference. When an organisation demonstrates evidence of being at odds with those core values we cannot make special provision for that organisation to be supported on our premises. To do so would be at odds with our diversity commitments.”

The Church of England has condemned the veto.