Young Muslims teamed up to help raise money for vulnerable young children last week by packing shoppers bags at supermarkets across Merton.

Members of Merton’s Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) raised £1,400 for Save the Children by bag packing at Morrison’s in Wimbledon and Mitcham on December 15 and 16.

The collections were part of a London wide campaign by the AMYA to contribute both positively and pro-actively to the community which also included blood drives, tree planting and charity walks.

Sohail Choudary, regional youth leader of the AMYA Merton branch, said: "In a time when certain quarters of society have wrongly associated the abuse of vulnerable children with Islam and Muslims, we feel it important to make it clear that Islam teaches the exact opposite.

"With this in mind, we have supported, and will continue to do so, the protection of the young through raising money for both Save the Children and the NSPCC."