A charity has thanked people from Potters Bar for donating thousands of Christmas presents to people in war-torn countries.

National charity Samaritan’s Purse asked people to give shoeboxes filled with presents to Regus, in Maple House, in High Road, Potters Bar,

The boxes contained everything from sweets and colouring books to toothpaste and bars of soaps and were distributed to orphanages, hospitals and refugee camps across the world.

More than 5,000 boxes were collected across England.

Simon Barrington, executive director of Samaritan’s Purse, the charity which organises the Operation Christmas Child shoebox appeal, said: “We would like to thank the Regus network of local workplace centres for their support again this year, as well as all the members of the public who wrapped, packed and brought in their shoeboxes.

“Thanks to them, many thousands of children who otherwise wouldn’t have received any presents this Christmas knew they weren’t forgotten.”