THE people behind a kind scheme which offers free coats to people in need say they will not be put off after some of the garments were urinated on.

Fay Sibley joined forces with friends Jo Bailey and Chris Dilley last month to create the Colchester Coat Exchange, outside the town's library.

As part of the scheme, homeless people or those in need are free to pick up a coat, while others can leave the ones they no longer need.

But on Monday night vandals broke the coat rails apart and and urinated on the coats which feel to the ground.

In total six coats have had to be binned, including one child's garment.

Mrs Sibley said: "It has been going so strongly so we won't let this set us back.

"I was a bit annoyed about it because there was a child's coat in that pile I had to dispose of and I know it would have done a little one a good turn.

"I would just say to the person who did this: 'Don't be a wally. It isn't going to stop us.'"

She added: "I still can't believe the support we've had.

"We keep saying to each other when we run out of coats that will be it and we've had a great run and then you've got people coming up to you with coats and saying: 'Here's what I've got with me, we've got more as well.'"

The Good Samaritan added: "People in Colchester have really taken it on and I think they will take this happening quite personally and people will say: 'This can't happen in my town.'"

After disposing of the six urine-soaked coats, there are still ten garments on the coat rail in Trinity Square.

The incident was discovered by friend Elisa Vasquez Walters on Monday evening as she was returning home from a meeting.

She said: "I could see they were all over the road so I went to pick them up and my friend stopped me and said she thought something could be on them."

"Sure enough when we got close it was obvious what it was."

She added: "I just think: 'How could someone do that and why?'

"It won't stop the great working the exchange is doing but the message I have is, this won't be tolerated in Colchester."

The incident has been reported to Colchester Council. It is hoped the perpetrator may have been caught on CCTV.