PILES of unwanted bedding was donated to a hair salon in Ascot and used to warm rough sleepers in homeless hotspots over Christmas.

Pillow In The Park is the brainchild of Spencer Gymer, 42, whose idea was jumped on with such fervour it gained the attention of the mainstream media and celebrities.

He urged members of the public to donate duvets, pillows and blankets to various drop-off points he set up and then distributed them in London and Brighton.

The collection point at hairdressers Toni&Guy in the High Street saw more than two thousand items donated in the run up to Christmas, with some still yet to go out onto the streets.

“We made a promise and we delivered on it,” said Spencer, from Cobham, who has pledged to continue with his campaign and make the charity his full-time job.

“It was a very liberating, humbling and emotional experience that I’ll never forget because some of the stories these people on the streets are telling me are just incredible.

“They are just absolutely heart-breaking and by the end of Boxing Day I just got back into the van and just burst into tears.”

The idea for what Spencer hopes to be a fully registered charity this year spawned from an innocuous Facebook post he made nearly six weeks ago.

And it has since gone viral with thousands upon thousands of people sharing the page on the social networking site.

Eastenders’ actor Dean Gaffney and comedian Bobby Davro have both made videos urging their social media following to get behind the campaign.

While Spencer has also been interviewed by BBC Radio London about the monumental acts of kindness and generosity he and his team have made.

Spencer, who by his own admission has fought drug addiction when he lived on the streets as a young man, said all of the bedding was donated with a huge smile.

“There was one lad who I was speaking to on the streets of Brighton,” Spencer continued. “He was smoking heroin and because of my past I felt the temptation. I wanted to smoke it. 

“But I maintained my sobriety because I am so committed to this. It is such a scary and mean place out there on the streets, it seems that the homeless are invisible.”

By the end of the year Spencer hopes Pillow In The Park is a registered charity with a team of vets treating street dogs.

“I just want to say a million thank yous,” Spencer added. “We clearly have a nation of people that care.”

He added: “This is not just about going out over three nights over Christmas to do something good, this is about seeing the job through. And we will do that.”