A LAST-minute surge in donations enabled five car loads of blankets, food and clothing to be shared out among Oxford’s homeless.

Pete Bonney, who was formerly homeless himself, collects donations for people living on the streets every year.

Tom Lillis, right, is pictured helping Mr Bonney and his wife Carol to deliver supplies to The Gap project, in Park End Street.

The 71-year-old decorates his Wood Farm home and visitors are asked to leave clothes and food parcels in return.

A week before Christmas the campaigner said donations were at an all time low because families were feeling the pinch.

But a last-minute surge has left him “inundated” with goods.

He said: “Donations were massively down for us for most of December. So many people said they just couldn’t afford to help this year, because they were having to tighten the purse strings themselves.

“But then, with just a couple of days left to go before Christmas, everything changed. It was incredible.”

This year the couple donated three car loads of goods to the Gap project and two loads to the Oxford Homeless Pathways centre, in Luther Street.

He said: “So many people are written off because they are homeless, which is unfair. We should all do what we can to help them.”

Picture: Damian Halliwell