GENEROUS knitters have handed over hundreds of handmade toys to school pupils.

St Peter’s Café in Spital Road, Maldon, presented the items to Southview School in Witham earlier this month.

The school, in Conrad Road, provides education for children aged between three and 19 who have complex and neurological difficulties.

The café knitting group spent weeks creating the dolls, blankets, mittens and socks.

A number of extra toys were also donated by users of the café.

Café manager Julie Taylor said: “I cannot thank my lovely ladies for all their hard work and kindness.

“Thank you all so much for continuing to help so many other people.

“You are all so kind and generous and I couldn’t do this without you.

“If anyone has any wool you no longer need, please drop it in to the cafe and it will be put to more great use.”

School governor Ray Brown and headteacher Julian Cochrane were delighted to receive the items from the café.

Mr Cochrane said: “We had a call from the knitting group a few weeks ago saying that they wanted to knit something for us.

“We didn’t quite know what we wanted, so we went around the classes and made a shopping list of things.

“They got busy knitting and a few days ago, they called us to come and collect the bits and pieces they made.

“We were absolutely blown away.

“The hours they must have spent on making all these lovely items for us.

“We hope it will be the start of a good relationship between the school and the café.

“We are tremendously grateful and tremendously thankful for what they have done.”

If you would like to donate any items to the café, visit St Peter’s hospital.