I WORK as a volunteer at a charity shop in Darlington.

I am constantly amazed at the number of other workers who I thought were volunteers until I later found out that although they were happy to work in the shop, they were forced to go there in order to receive their benefit.

We have gone back to the sweatshop mentality so the Government can massage the jobs figures.

It appears that if they refused to do the work they would lose their entitlement to job seekers allowance.

It seems that the public just cannot win.

Bryan Middleton, Darlington.