London's Mayor Sadiq Khan extended his best wishes to the city during the Islamic religious month of Ramadan, but urged people to stay alert of scams when making charity donations.

In a short video where he wished everyone a "peaceful" Ramadan, Khan said: "This will be first as the Mayor of London and I look forward to using the opportunity to bring together all communities in our great city."

However, after a warning from the Charity Commission of scams used to take people's donations, Khan issued a statement and added: "These donations make a real difference to the organisations that need them, so it’s important to make a few simple checks to make sure your money goes to the good cause it’s meant for.

"Sadly, there are people who will try and exploit the compassion of others and abuse the work of charities.

"By making checks and asking questions about how your money will be used, you can help make sure that genuine, registered charities benefit this month."

'There are occasions where the name and work of charities is abused'

The Commission, an independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, said there was a generosity of Muslims during the period and wanted to remind donors of how to ensure their money gets to the good causes.

A spokesperson for the Commission said: "Unfortunately there are occasions where the name and work of charities is abused.

"To protect their donation and the charities they wish to support, the commission is encouraging donors to take small steps such as checking the register of charities and the identity and licence of charity collectors before donating."

The month began on Monday (June 6) and will involve millions of Muslims across the country fasting until sunset each day.