MORE than 300 children living in care in Croydon received a gift this Christmas thanks to public donations to a police campaign.
Fifty also attended Santa's Grotto in Centrale shopping centre where they were given a present as part of the Met's Give a Gift Christmas Tree scheme.
The other 250 presents were delivered by Croydon Council's children's services team to young people in foster care around the borough.
Officers and police cadets also visited Croydon University Hospital to give 25 gifts to children in Rupert Bear ward.
The appeal, which began in November, saw almost 7,000 gifts donated to children in care across London.
In total, 600 gifts were donated in Croydon, many of them wrapped by volunteer police cadets.
Presents yet to be handed out will be given to children living in temporary accommodation.
As well as backing from the council, the campaign was also supported by Croydon Business Improvement District (BID).
Inspector Phil Mockett, who led the appeal in Croydon, was delighted to have practically doubled the 300 present target.
"The response from the public for this campaign has fantastic," he said.
"When we launched the campaign, we weren't sure if we'd manage to hit our target of 300 presents, but with the presents that have been donated at Centrale still to be given out, it looks like we'll have reached nearer 600.
"We're speaking with the council to make arrangements to donate the remaining presents to children living in temporary accommodation across the borough, and while we haven't been able to do this before Christmas because of the volume, we're hoping to get the presents delivered in the first week of January.
"I'd like to thank all of our partners, who have really got behind the campaign and made it possible, but also thank the public for their amazing generosity, without which, none of this would have been possible."
