May 2, 2014 10.43 am This story is over 131 months old

Lincolnshire Police knitted toys appeal exceeds request

Lots of bears: Police have been overwhelmed by the support from Lincolnshire people offering knitted bears.
A typical knitted bear given to children at the scene of a road traffic accident.

Lincolnshire Police thanking people in the county after a great response to their knitted bear appeal.

As previously reported, police were asking residents to donate the little bears for consoling children at the scene of incidents.

If a child is involved in a road traffic collision, they would be given a free kitted bear to help keep them calm in a frightening experience.

This then helps police and other emergency services deal with the accident.

However, the charity which used to knit and provide the bears — known as Angel Bears — is no longer in existence.

Police asked residents to provide just 500 of the bears — but the knitting community has so far sent in over 5,100.

The bears have been placed in police vehicles to allow officers to distribute them.

They have been also been issued at the Spring Lodge support centre and will also be issued in the Junior Police Cadet School Officer scheme from September.

As Lincolnshire Police have enough bears, they are asking people to stop sending any more in for the time being.

However, they are considering starting the scheme again in October 2014.

As the scheme was so popular, it may also become an annual initiative between October and March.

Other emergency services are now also considering using the scheme for other kinds of incidents where a child or vulnerable person might be involved too.

In a statement, Lincolnshire Police said: “The bears have been so gratefully received and this has only been possible with your support and help. Thank you again.

“Many good stories have been highlighted as the wider benefits of knitting the bears such as ‘having a purpose to my life when stuck indoors in the winter and it is dark outside’, ‘I have now stopped smoking as I cannot knit and smoke at the same time!’ and ‘I have a link to the police service now and feel safer as part of that scheme’.”