Bikers dressed as Santa drop off gifts for vulnerable children

Bikers dressed as Santa Claus and elves rode through a county to deliver thousands of presents for vulnerable children.

More than 150 bikers and their passengers set off from Long Eaton on Saturday to drop the gifts at charity Safe and Sound in Darley Abbey.

The charity supports young children in the city who have been sexually and criminally exploited.

Their CEO Tracy Harrison said she was "blown away" by everyone's generosity.

The event was organised by UpRight, a motorbike road safety campaign run by Derbyshire Police officers, and supported by Pidcock Motorcycles and Blood Bikes.

About 2,000 gifts were donated by the bikers, members of the public and police staff.

UpRight co-ordinator Tom Rowlands - who also works in the force's road policing unit - said he was "taken aback" and "overwhelmed" by the support and donations.

"Bikers are a fantastic bunch," he said. "They are very giving, and unless you are part of it you don't really understand them, but when they come together for something like this I think the public can see what sort of people they are.

"It's nice to be able to support something like this and Safe and Sound deal with exploited children who are often overlooked, so to do this is an absolute privilege and I was really pleased with the turnout."

"Demand's gone up through Covid so we have been very busy," Ms Harrison said.

"Children have been more vulnerable, they have been spending more time online, they have been isolated, sometimes not in school with their friends and the perpetrators know that and have been looking out for them and try to groom them online.

"When children have been exploited people don't want to talk about it, they don't want to think that it's happening, but sadly it is. So to know that they have been chosen to be recipients [of the gifts] is massive.

"It's something special for them when they have had a really challenging time. For every child that has been exploited, to know that somebody has thought enough to give them a treat at Christmas is amazing."

The gifts will be distributed by charity staff this week.

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