As the biting cold days of winter set in, a shopping centre is urging people to donate their old coats to ensure homeless men and women in the community can keep warm.

The Mall in Selborne Road, Walthamstow, has teamed up with Forest Churches Emergency Night Shelter (FCENS), which provides food and shelter for 30 people every night from November to March.

Shoppers are asked to hand in any good-quality coats, jackets and jumpers they no longer need to the ‘Ask Me’ point in the centre, which will then be given to homeless men and women.

The shelter established nine years ago to help those sleeping rough in Waltham Forest, is an alliance between seven churches.

The Mall’s marketing manager, Richard Jones, said: “I would like to encourage as many local people as possible to donate unwanted items of clothing to our campaign.

“The temperature has already started to dip and FCENS needs to ensure that it has a big enough supply of warm clothing to last until the end of March, when the temporary shelters will shut their doors for the season.

“It’s just another small way that we can help those less fortunate than ourselves.”

The Mall’s Ask Me point is located on the first floor of the shopping centre.