​Fundraising response to Grenfell events has been overwhelming - but regulator warns people to give with caution

More than £5 million – and counting – has been raised for victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Over 400 fundraising pages have been set up on digital giving platform JustGiving and onrival GoFundMe, which now hosts around 250 pages.

This is in tandem with the fundraising efforts of individual charities, such as the Salvation Army and the Kensington and Chelsea Foundation.

Charities are also heavily involved in helping out on the ground as the scale of the tragedy unfolds.

The figures on all platforms are constantly rising.

One of the largest appeals was set up by Haley Yearwood, a teacher at a local school, which has raised over £600,000.

Such is the scale of the fundraising, the English and Welsh regulator the Charity Commission issued a warning to members of the public to “give safely” to appeals.

It urged all prospective donors to appeals to “check the charity is registered on the charity register” and have also advised members of the public concerned about the safety of their donations to consult its guidance around safer giving on its website.

David Holdsworth, chief operating officer at the commission, said: "We are saddened to hear of the tragic events in West London. There are many registered charities on the ground doing what they do best to assist those who have been affected.

“We are urging members of the public that wish to make donations to check that they give to a registered charity in order to best support those affected, and also importantly to check with those charities what support they need – whether that is money, time or other essential supplies."