KIND-hearted Somerset shoppers donated more than 800 toys to children in need over Christmas.

Generous souls have been thanked for their efforts as part of the Tesco Christmas Toy Donation campaign.

The initiative saw donation spots opened at stores in Burnham-on-Sea, Chard, Clevedon, Langport, Minehead, Taunton, Wells, Weston-super-Mare, Yeovil, Shepton Mallet, Ilminster, Keynsham and Glastonbury.

A total of 834 brand-new toys handed over were then given as gifts to children who might otherwise not have received any presents from Santa at Christmas, distributed through groups across the county.

Organisations including Shepton Mallet Fire Station, Combe St Nicholas Care and Share, Mums2bteens2more, Yeovil Hospital, King Edward Road Nursery, South West Children’s Hospital, and the Avon Fire & Rescue Service helped distribute the gifts.

A spokesperson for Tesco stores in Somerset said: “This year’s toy donation campaign gave customers a fantastic opportunity to support local families and ensure children in our community had something to open on Christmas Day.

“We are so grateful to our customers who donated what they could to help bring some festive joy to local families over Christmas.”

Claire De Silva, head of communities at the supermarket chain, added: “We really can’t thank our customers enough for their kind contributions to our Toy Donation campaign.

“Throughout the year our stores give support to children and their community, and without fail local people support us in our efforts.

“So once again we are grateful to the people of Somerset for showing that the magic of Christmas is very much alive and well. They have made a lot of children very happy at a time of year that can be difficult for some families, so thank you so much again for your support.”