Mosque-goers have been “humbled” by the response to their appeal to help victims of the Grenfell Tower fire after they were overwhelmed with donations.

Members from Lea Bridge Road Mosque in Leyton organised the collection yesterday after a fire at the block in North Kensington killed at least 17 people and injured dozens more.

However, as news of the appeal spread on social media, hundreds from across Waltham Forest got together to lend their support to Grenfell residents.

The collection, organised by Afran Abrahim, Mansoor Ramzan and Raja Irfam Akhter, has now collected more than six tonnes of supplies, including toiletries, food, nappies and blankets for victims.

The donations drive became so successful, the mosque is now having to turn away items, as it is unable to cope with the demand.

Mr Abrahim said: “Rather than sitting in front of the TV and doing nothing, we were talking among ourselves and it felt like it was members of our own family this had happened to.

"We decided there was no point just talking about it, we got together in the mosque and we decided to get some donations in, it was meant to be at a small scale but it has gone wild.

“We had a massive amount of people come in and donate things, we had to drop off three tonnes of food.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Emergency crews expect the death toll from the fire to rise further (pic: PA Wire)

“Everyone, Muslim and non-Muslim, so many people turned up and donated. We are all Londoners and the way everyone came together was fantastic.”

Volunteers delivered half of the supplies to centres set up to help respond to the tragedy in west London yesterday evening (Wednesday, June 14) and will send more donations later today.

Firefighters were called to the 24-storey tower in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with hundreds of residents thought to be inside at the time.

Authorities have confirmed 17 people died in the disaster and more than 30 others remain in hospital.

Fire chiefs say hundreds of people are still unaccounted for and they expect to see the death toll rise further.

Mr Abrahim added: “It is not just the mosque, we were supported by the whole borough, we are one family, and the response has been humbling really.

“We have had a lot of bad news in the past few weeks, this fire is so horrifically bad and now we need some good news to come out of this to bring everyone together.”