THERE has been a huge response to an appeal for clothes and other items for 450 asylum seekers coming to York.

Church group One Voice York, which organised the appeal with Refugee Action York, said every collection centre set up in the city had now received more donations than it could sort through.

“There has been a really good response!” said Rob Ainsworth of One Voice York.

Collections will be paused briefly from Sunday December 11 until Wednesday December 15, so that ‘we have time to sort what we have’, Rob said.

There is still a need for new underwear, socks and t-shirts for the welcome packs that are being put together for asylum seekers, however.

A crowd-funding page has been set up - https://gofund.me/178027f5 - where people can make cash donations.

Rob said: “£10 buys a pack of pants or a set of socks or a t-shirt, £20 buys a pack of pants & socks, £30 buys pants, socks & t-shirts.”

The aim was to give a ‘brilliant welcome’ to a group of people who had been through ‘incredible hardship’, Rob said.

YORK council boss Keith Aspden has written to Home Secretary Suella Braverman calling for extra funds to be made available for asylum seekers arriving in York.

As reported in The Press last week, as many as 450 asylum seekers are expected to come to York.

They will be put up in a hotel while their claims for asylum are assessed.

City of York Council says those coming to York will be 'couples and small family groups'.

They will be entitled to use local health services, and children will be given access to education in the city.

But while the NHS locally has been given a 'small amount of funding' by the Home Office to go towards the cost of health care, the city council has received no extra funding at all.

Council boss Keith Aspden has written to Home Secretary Suella Braverman calling for extra funds to be made available.