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It was smiles all round at Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children recently, as the Chief Superintendent of Merton Police hand-delivered an electric car and a bumper collection of toys for the young patients.

Borough Commander Stuart McLeod visited the dedicated children’s hospital with Sergeant Boyle to drop off the goodies, all of which had been generously donated by the people of Merton. The toys included a ride-on electric car that children who need surgery can use to drive themselves to the operating theatre – a great way to distract young patients during what can be a distressing time.

Chief Superintendent McLeod said: “We are so pleased to be able to donate these toys to Queen Mary’s and hope that they can help to cheer up the children who need care here. This has only been made possible by the generous residents of Merton, and I would like to thank every person who made a donation to the cause.”

Chief Executive Daniel Elkeles, said: “As a father, I know how difficult it is when your child needs to be admitted to hospital, or needs surgery. Every little thing we can do to take their minds off it, and keep them happily occupied during a hospital stay is incredibly important, and exactly why this donation is so valuable to us and our patients. I would like to thank Chief Superintendent McLeod and his team for launching the appeal and for personally delivering the gifts.”

The donation was collected as part of Merton Police’s Christmas Tree Project, an annual appeal where local people are asked to donate a small gift for disadvantaged children in the Borough.  If you would like more information about the project or would like to donate a gift to a child who might not otherwise get one, please email christmastreeproject@met.police.uk. You can also use the hashtag #metxmastree on Twitter.