An artist who has become a social media star made a surprise visit to a shop in Hornchurch.

Sophie Tea dropped into Saint Francis Hospice's High Street store as part of her Charity Shop Friday series.

She has built up 1.1m followers on TikTok and 725,000 on Instagram and is bidding to raise the profile of charity shops across the country.

Sophie bought a Barbie remote-controlled car from the shop on October 11 before transforming the bright pink convertible in a matter of hours into a unique piece of art.

She then returned it to the shop, where the work was raffled and the winner had the chance to buy the car for the price it was originally sold for.

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“It’s been such a fantastic day and I’ve been blown away by the amazing work of the retail team at Saint Francis Hospice,” said Sophie.

“What I love most about helping charities is the sense of community and connection.

“Knowing that I can use my creativity to support a cause and inspire others to do the same is incredibly rewarding."

The hospice said shoppers bought items from the store for Sophie to draw her signature nude design on them.

Clare Hunt, area manager for the shop, said: “It was such an exciting day and we’re so grateful to Sophie for choosing our fabulous new shop.

“She spent time chatting and having her photo taken with customers, as well as personalising donations with her amazing artwork.

“Sophie’s special visit attracted lots of new customers and she has helped to raise awareness of hospice care."