A kind-hearted Darlington mum and dad have set up a free toy exchange in a bid to make sure children across town have presents under the tree this Christmas.
Costumes, teddies, kitchen sets and dolls now populate a number of stalls on the left-hand side of Darlington's Indoor Market as part of the brand new Darlington Free Toy Exchange.
Brought to life by Macauley Macdonald, 28, and Nuha Alom, 22, the couple have gathered, cleaned and displayed a whole host of toys that can be picked up by passers by free of charge.
The warehouse workers set up the unmanned stall on November 5, ready for customers the following day to pick any items their little ones may enjoy.
Macauley told The Northern Echo: "Myself and my partner Nuha work full time, and we're the same as every other parent and see how people struggle to bring up kids in the world we're living in at the minute.
"After having conversations with others, we realised that there was an ongoing theme this year in regards to toys and presents being more expensive.
"People sort out their second hand toys the wrong way around, though. They give them away after Christmas when nobody needs them.
"They need to get rid of them now, so those who can't afford it or need a bit of extra help to fill gaps can make their kids feel special this Christmas."
After the idea sprung into Macauley's mind, the dad-of-one took to social media to grab a pile of toys being flogged for free and managed to fill his car up two times.
"I didn't even have a place in mind or where I was going to do it - I knew I needed somewhere central," he said.
"All I've heard recently is there are empty stalls in Darlington Indoor Market, so I got in touch with the team there and they kindly offered it to us for free."
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The stall is now expected to be around and accessible until Christmas - and may be extended depending on the market and response from the public.
Macauley added: "When we were setting it up, people were coming past and saying how brilliant of an idea it was and many have said they will bring some toys down for us. Their faces lit up.
"The exchange is really for everyone. I don't care if they earn £2,000 or £2 a month. If you need to fill little gaps because you have been working hard for a big present then it's for you.
"There should be absolutely no shame in sharing toys."
For anyone who wishes to make donations, Macauley has insisted that no toys are off limits, as long as they are in a good enough condition for another child to play with.
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