Welwyn Hatfield knitters have already produced hundreds of items for this year’s campaign to help people in Syria.

The sixth year of the popular knitting campaign, WelHats, is already off to a flying start thanks to the hundreds of items already knitted by Friendship House in Hatfield.

As part of the official launch of the 2018 campaign, Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps popped by Friendship House to pick up their handiwork and called on all other knitters to follow their example to make it a “record-breaking year”.

The WelHats scheme involves residents knitting various woolly items such as blankets, jumpers and scarves, which are then donated to people who suffer from incredibly cold winters in Syria via the Hand in Hand with Syria charity.

At the launch Mr Shapps was joined by the ladies of Friendship House who have already knitted an impressive number of cardigans, hats, gloves and scarves as the campaign aims to beat last year’s tally of 3,000 items.

After thanking the knitters of Friendship House for their work, Mr Shapps said: “I’m delighted that this campaign is now in its sixth year running.

“It’s thanks to the generosity of local people that we’ve been able to donate literally tens of thousands of warm clothes to displaced people in Syria where it is particularly cold during the winter.

“I hope knitters continue to get behind it this year so that we can donate more than ever!”

Donations are accepted at Mr Shapps’ office in Hatfield.