The government has accepted in full a former Jewish Care trustee’s report which will bring in a new watchdog to stop charities taking advantage of vulnerable donors.

Baron Howard Leigh, the president of Westminster Synagogue and former Conservative Party treasurer who was made a Lord in 2013, co-authored the report in September, entitled ‘Regulating Fundraising For The Future’.

The government announced the new regulations on Sunday, with Minister for Civil Society Rob Wilson pledging to “protect those people at risk of exploitation.”

New measures in the report promise that donors’ identities and data will be protected, and that supporters who are “inundated” with fundraising material from charities can opt-out to stop the influx.

Large charities which spend more than £100,000 annually on public fundraising could be forced to sign up to the new watchdog, which they will fund themselves.

Mr Wilson said that the watchdog, which will be able to intervene if the organisations fail to adhere to the new guidelines, “should help the charities to draw a line under previous bad practice”.

He added that the move was important because giving to charity is “one of the most decent and generous attributes of a civilised society – and we need to rebuild people’s faith in the big charities.

“Those who give to charity should know their donation is going to further a worthy cause and this trust will never be abused.”