calendars and sold them for $3 each.

The calendar con started when the man -- distributing the gifts to BF&M clients -- stashed a load away for himself.

Then he decided to go behind the backs of fellow charity volunteers and slap a $3 price tag on each calendar.

But he was fingered by some of his own customers, who reported he was trying to sell the calendars near the Gosling Brothers headquarters on Dundonald Street, Hamilton.

The prime suspect has now been suspended from doing voluntary work for Focus Counselling Service, who specialise in helping cure addictions.

The BF&M Insurance Group, which has links with several charities, asked Focus to distribute some of the 5,000 1999 calendars they had printed for customers.

Focus gathered together a pool of volunteers to carry out the task.

But Glenn Titterton, BF&M President and Chief Executive Officer, said: "One person took it upon himself to try and make some money.

"It's certainly not Focus's fault and they are now co-ordinating their own investigation.'' Focus spokeswoman Sylvia Hayward-Harris said an internal inquiry had already begun.

She confirmed the man suspected of carrying out the calendar con had now been suspended from Focus.

She said he was not a counsellor -- but a volunteer charity worker who used Focus' addiction services.

"This is a very unfortunate situation,'' she said. "We were very grateful to BF&M for offering us the opportunity to distribute their calendars for them.

"We still haven't been able to make a positive ID on exactly who the culprit was.

"But we think we know who did it based on the descriptions we have been given.

"And one person has been suspended from our programmes until the executive director, Mrs. Sandra Butterfield, gets back from her Christmas holidays.

"She will speak to the man who has been suspended in the New Year and we will then, in turn, be in contact with BF&M.

"But the Police have not been called in and BF&M have taken it upon themselves to adopt a very responsible position.'' Mr. Titterton added he did not want the one-off con job to ruin the firm's relationship with Focus.

"We have to deliver a very large number of calendars in a very short space of time and that's why we asked Focus to help us,'' he said.

"They are obviously meant to be free calendars because they are gifts for our customers.

"And another reason we like charities to deliver them is to give them some help and a donation as part of the Christmas spirit.

"Focus dispatched some very good people to do the deliveries and it was only one person who saw an opportunity to raise some funds of his own.

"He was obviously thinking for himself and not for charity but there is no harm done at the end of the day.

"We're not sure exactly how many he took but we don't think he managed to sell that many because it was reported to us very quickly after deliveries started last week.'' DRUGS DGS