A "devastated'' charity champion has resigned from the organisation he set up - rather than see it damaged by an admission of his criminal past.

Rod Jones, 57, founder of Teesside based Convoy Aid, is stepping down as the driving force of the Romanian-based charity, following concerns raised by the Charity Commission about his past.

The ex-armed robber lists the prisons where he served time, on a website in an appeal to former cellmates to come forward and help him write a book, the proceeds going to help Romanian orphans and street children.

"I did not want to mislead the public about my past, but it makes you wonder, sometimes if honesty is always the best policy,'' said Mr Jones, who has received a letter from one of the directors of the Charities Commission, raising concerns about his past criminal activities, after spotting the website.

"My world has collapsed, yet I have done nothing wrong,'' he added.

Mr Jones set up Convoy Aid in 1990 in memory of his son, also called Rodney, who was killed in a horrific car smash.

Rod Jones snr was sifting through his son's personal effects when he found a letter accepting his son's help in taking humanitarian aid to Romania.

The charity turned down Mr Jones's offer to go in his son's place - so he decided to go himself.

"When I got there I was not prepared for what I saw,'' admitted Mr Jones, whose Romanian wife, Gabriella, is a director of Convoy Aid. "A lot of people give simply because I am the founder and am so closely associated with it. When people see I am not responsible for Convoy Aid, will they still have the same confidence? I hope they do.''

Yesterday he went to the charity's bank on Teesside and had his name cancelled out as a second signatory.

A spokeswoman for the Charities Commission said: "We are still considering whether Convoy Aid should be registered as a charity with is. We need Mr Jones himself to let us know of any changes to the running of the organisation in order that we have the most up todate information.''