A charity which helps deliver Christmas presents to children in need has been given a venue to run its campaign from, thanks to the police and crime commissioner.

Samaritans-Purse sends out millions of shoeboxes each year to children all over the world, filled with toys, school supplies, and toiletries as part of its Operation Christmas Child drive.

Finding it difficult to locate its regional base for 2016 though, the charity was offered police building Chord Park, in Huntingdon, by Cambridgeshire’s police and crime commissioner, Jason Ablewhite.

Emma Fawcett, from Operation Christmas Child, said: “Landlords up and down the country have been incredibly supportive over the years, but they’ve found it more and more difficult to provide the facilities we need.

“We are grateful to the commissioner for intervening and showing such generosity.”

Since the campaign started in 1993, shoeboxes have been delivered to more than 135 million children in some 150 countries.

Mr Ablewhite said: “I am pleased to be able to support what is now the world’s largest children’s Christmas project. I know this means so much to those children in receipt of the shoeboxes and hope local people, businesses and schools will lend their support to this very worthy cause.”