Tesco customers and staff have raised more than £30,000 for hospices including two in East Lancashire.

The hospices benefiting from the donations include Rossendale Hospice and Pendleside Hospice.

The funds were raised through a variety of events including a takeover of Rossendale Radio Station, Easter dress-up, local band performances in stores, bag packing by scout groups, Star Wars-themed fancy dress, and second-hand book sales.

Joanna Williams, fundraising manager at Rossendale Hospice, said: "I was delighted to attend the community event organised by Tesco.

"It is an amazing achievement for the team of champions to have raised much-needed funds for our hospices.

"Rossendale Hospice is proud to have a great relationship with both Haslingden and Rawtenstall stores and we are extremely grateful for the donation we received."

Rossendale Hospice, which provides care for people with life-limiting conditions in the North West, received £4,136 in total from Tesco colleagues from stores in Haslingden and Rawtenstall.

Colleagues from Tesco stores in Burnley, Rawtenstall and Padiham raised a total of £9,934 for Pendleside Hospice, to help in enhancing the quality of life for people with advancing, long-term and life-limiting illnesses and their families and carers.

Mukhtar Mirza, community champion at Tesco Burnley, said: "It’s always an honour as a community champion to be a part of fundraisers like these, as they make such a huge difference for local people.

"All of the hospices benefitting from this donation do amazing work and we’re all so pleased to have been able to help in any way we can.

"I want to say thank you to all the Tesco colleagues and community champions that helped coordinate this massive effort, and a special thank you to all of our lovely shoppers who donated and helped us reach such an impressive total."