Breakfast show GMTV will launch its Come Home for Christmas Appeal for the charity Missing People at The Mall Chequers on Tuesday, December 8.

GMTV will be asking viewers to recycle old or unwanted mobile phones every day throughout the festive season in aid of the charity Missing People.

There will be a collection point at The Mall Chequers or people can send their phones into GMTV using a Freepost addressed.

Money raised from recycling these phones will go directly to Missing People, which provides support for missing children, vulnerable adults and their families.

GMTV presenter Lorraine Kelly said: “While we are all looking forward to getting the whole family together this Christmas, for some Christmas is a time of sadness.

"Please get behind GMTV’s Come Home for Christmas campaign by donating your old mobile phone to the charity Missing People, helping them to track down missing relatives and make Christmas happy again.”

Missing People is currently looking for more than 70 vulnerable missing people in the south East area, including Richard Lambert who went missing from Maidstone on June 13, 2009.

Martin Houghton-Brown, chief executive of the charity, said: “GMTV viewers can join the search for the missing in a very easy way this Christmas – simply by recycling an unwanted phone.

“With the help of GMTV viewers and shoppers at The Mall Chequers, the charity can support families of the missing over the entire festive season, whenever they need us. Every phone makes a difference."

Mall Chequers centre manager Paul Alcock said: “We urge everyone to dig out their old mobile phones, bring them down to The Mall and help Missing People provide the invaluable support for missing people and their families at this vital time of the year.

"This festive season we expect to welcome over a quarter of million shoppers a week through our doors and if everyone brought in an old mobile phone we could really make a difference for Missing People.”

To recycle your phone please drop it in at the collection point by the Ask Me Point at The Mall Chequers or send it in an envelope addressed to GMTV, Freepost, ShP Solutions.