A mother and daughter have been leaving knitted scarves around their home town for anyone who is cold to take home.

Petula Blanks and mum, Doreen Smith, of Freshwater, on the Isle of Wight, knit the scarves and tie them to benches with a note on them.

Petula said: "When we moved to the Isle of Wight a few years ago I noticed a lot of people were living below the poverty line.

"I saw a video from America where one day a year a town's people tie scarves around trees for people to take and stay warm.

"We tend to tie ours to benches but we have to find somewhere where they won't get soaking wet.

"A lot of people are not homeless but maybe don't turn on the heating at home, and some can find going in a charity shop can be degrading, so ours are there for anyone to take.

"Each has a note on it which says: 'If you need me, please take me and stay warm'.

"I spend most evenings knitting while I'm watching the television, so it's something I enjoy and mum was born to knit, she started when she was five and is 80 now. She's very fast."