A St Albans school collected presents for children after a parent was moved to tears by a struggling family being interviewed on TV.

Alban City parents and teachers did some research and found out about the Salvation Army Christmas Present appeal and contacted the local centre on Victoria Street.

They arranged two days of collecting brand new, unwrapped toys and had an overwhelming response.

Chair of the PTA Lizzie Hodgkinson said: “Some people cannot afford presents for their children and are worried about Christmas. It really struck a chord with us, and hit home how lucky our children are.

“So we started to look into any local charities that would appreciate any donations of toys. It wasn’t as easy a task as we expected, as some charities were struggling to accept donations due to all of the complications caused by COVID.”

Headteacher Gilly Stray said: “We did three trips to the Salvation Army, armed with a huge trolley and several helpers carrying big bags each time.”