Rail operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is giving unclaimed overcoats from lost property to charity Centre 33, to clothe St Albans' homeless.

Over 50 coats, many of them designer-wear, were handed over by station staff in February with the promise that more can be donated when Centre 33's supplies get low.

Commenting on the significance of the relationship between the new franchise and homeless charities, Paula Hilliard, a GTR employee who orchestrated the scheme, said: "We anticipate that in a typical year we could amass as many as 100 bags of overcoats so we hope to be able to provide Centre 33 with a ready supply whenever stocks get low."