Donations pour in across Hertfordshire to help newly arrived Afghan families

A Hertfordshire synagogue has thanked people from all over the county after it was inundated with donations for newly arrived Afghan families. 

Rabbi Elchonon Feldman, of the Bushey United Synagogue in Hertfordshire, sent a message to worshippers on a private Facebook page on Thursday night about the 72 refugee families who'd arrived in the county.

By Sunday lunchtime, they had more than 3,000 bags of warm clothes, toiletries and basic supplies.

Laurence Brass, the councillor for Bushey North, said he spoke to the fathers of the young Afghan children and asked if they would like to take them outside, but was told they did not have pushchairs to carry them to the park so they could play.

Essex writer, Giovanna Fletcher, described the event as "a community pulling together" and that she and a friend were amazed by the act of kindness.