A charity supporting Airedale Hospital believes a “vast” number of wheelchairs, walking aids and other hospital equipment may be stored away in people’s garages, lofts and spare bedrooms.

Now volunteers and staff at the Steeton site have declared an equipment amnesty in a bid to recover some of the costly items.

The Friends of Airedale, one of the charities that raises funds for patients at the hospital, is asking people to return any borrowed equipment – “no questions asked”.

The amnesty started on Monday and runs until the end of the month.

Kelvin Whiting, therapy services manager at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said: “When wheelchairs or walking aids are no longer needed, people sometimes forget to return them, or if the equipment’s broken they worry about returning it. But we can often repair them or take serviceable parts to maintain others.

“We are appealing to people to bring back wheelchairs and other equipment they no longer use, which will boost our stocks and help to ensure we have enough wheelchairs and walking aids for future patients.”

Eileen Proud, chairman of the Friends of Airedale, said: “Each wheelchair costs around £400, so even if just a few are returned it all adds up. It also means we don’t have to spend our resources replacing items that could be gathering dust in people’s homes.

“We want to reassure people that we aren’t worried about how long the wheelchairs have been kept, which is why we hope that if people know they can return them without any comeback, hopefully this will encourage them to do so.”

She said a similar amnesty was held about 12 years ago.

The Friends have set up a special area – just inside the main entrance, next to the hospital shop – where people will be able to drop off any equipment between 10am and 2pm weekdays – it is on Level One.

People who do not have transport to return equipment are asked to call the Friends of Airedale patient transport service on (01535) 294626 between 9.30am and noon, Monday to Friday, and arrange for it to be collected. Messages can be left on the answer phone at other times.